


SEMINARE

by onamelancholyhill



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Foreign Language, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Musician Dean Winchester, Naomi (Supernatural) Being an Asshole, POV Castiel, Protective Dean Winchester, Running Away, Work In Progress, Writer Castiel, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-13 17:05:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 24,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17491883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onamelancholyhill/pseuds/onamelancholyhill
Summary: “I won’t run away. I don’t want to escape,” Castiel insisted stubbornly. His tone, however, after hours of discussing, started to sound hesitant.“Why don’t you think it as a second wind in your life? That you will feel more relaxed for once, that you might find your place in the world?” Gabriel replied. The rest of their friends nodded.Castiel remained quiet, thinking about a good counter-attack.  He found none, though, probably because deep down he knew he was being obtuse.He had lived all his life under the wings of his controlling mother and her numerous demands. He felt anxious, overwhelmed, tormented. He was certain he couldn't live like that anymore.And, after all, what would he lose if he tried?When Castiel took the risk, and met the mysteriously charming Dean Winchester, he finally understood a thing or two about second chances, freedom, and love.





	1. La Balsa

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I don't know how to start.
> 
> I've had this story in mind since 2016! Crazy, huh? In fact, I started writing it for the DCBB that year. I was on track and happy about the results I was obtaining with the fic, but then, suddenly (as if I was a Baudelaire) a "series of unfortunate events" started happening to me in (real) life, making me lose the inspiration, but most of all, the passion to write I used to have.
> 
> The story was forgotten in my Google Drive, I gave up on the Big Bang, I lost contact with my betas and the artist involved with the fic (who probably thinks I'm an asshole, I'm really sorry), and I stopped being an active part of the Supernatural fandom (my tumblr is abbandoned, to be honest I'm sure nobody remembers it/me).
> 
> Re-starting this fic was always on my mind, though. Not even my shitty 2018 made me stop thinking about it. I enjoy writing and particularly I enjoy writing about Dean and Castiel. This story shares my heart with you all, as well, because it's connected to me and my daily life in a pivotal way (I don't want to spoil it haha, but you will understand what I'm talking about at the end of this chapter). It was never my intention to let it incomplete, in the shadows.
> 
> When I raised my glass at New Year's Eve last year I promised myself I would make up for lost time and I would publish this story no matter what. That's why I am here. 
> 
> Sadly, however, I'm completely ALONE in this adventure and that scares me a little. I'm a perfectionist, and as you know if you remember who I am, English is not my mother tongue, so re-starting such a project makes me anxious somehow. I don't want to fail. I don't want to publish typos. I want to do my best.
> 
> So, well, if you want to help me with this (with whatever you want: supporting me and telling me what you do or don't like about the story, being a beta, sharing somehow your priceless time with me) I will be truly grateful. Comments and kudos help to raise my self-esteem as well. Any constructive criticism is very well welcomed. 
> 
> This story will have (as I've originally planned) 8 or 9 chapters. Three of them are 100% written, and the fourth one is in the process. I won't have a publish schedule or anything similar, but I will try to publish the rest or them as soon as I finish writing them.
> 
> Sorry for the long rant. I will leave you alone, so you can read.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this story. 
> 
> As I've said before, I'm sharing my heart with you in this one.

♫ [You can listen to the song here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv9PnHsEGas) ♫

When his cellphone rang for the first time that night, Castiel Novak was turning off his computer at the office. He couldn’t be more delighted that work was over. After all, that day Castiel had being exposed to hard, boring and uninspiring appointments for ten long and exhausting hours on the trot. For a moment, he considered answering the phone or at least glancing to see who the caller was, but Castiel finally decided against it, putting the device in the pocket of his beloved trench coat while turning the lights of the room off.

The second time it rang, he was already at the train station, pushing and shoving people here and there so he could catch a seat, or at least a comfortable place to stand. He found neither, and had to stay squeezed in between dozens of equally tired strangers, judging by the somber looks on their faces.

_‘Praise God it’s Friday!’_ Castiel thought, at the same time he noticed the cellphone vibrating in his pocket for the third time. Since he wasn’t in the most comfortable position to answer it, he let it pass. _‘If it’s important enough, they’ll try later,’_ he considered, and kept looking at the back of the coach, praying internally for someone to leave and offer him their seat. His legs were killing him.

After what felt like an eternity, Castiel finally got to sit down. Meanwhile, the cellphone in his coat was constantly vibrating against his thigh. Whoever was calling him? They still could wait.

Next thing Castiel remembered was blinking awake groggily, squinting suddenly at the way too bright fluorescent lights above his sight. So it seemed, he had fallen asleep on the train, though he wasn’t sure for how much time. It was not a rare occurrence, but it wasn’t something Castiel (or his neck) particularly enjoyed either. Grumbling he looked beside him, and noticed someone new was sitting there. He was now squished in between an old lady, well-dressed and elegant, and a school boy, who was playing some game on his phone.

Castiel yawned, and rubbed his tired eyes with his hands, trying to make his body wake up faster. He finally snapped at the sudden realization he couldn’t stand the annoying sound of his phone anymore (which was ringing again). He yanked it out of his pocket, only to see that the ringtone had stopped. _Twelve_ missed calls. Castiel sighed when he saw the caller ID.

“Gabriel,” he groaned in a bitter tone, and probably louder than he should, earning him a dirty look from several passengers. Castiel blushed at their reaction and looked back at the phone, scrolling the screen up and down. Call after call after call, with a steady continuity that Castiel found irritating. He was not worried about the calls, though, because it wouldn’t have been the first time that Gabriel found pleasure in annoying him for no reason. His cousin had once said: _‘if someone doesn’t pick up your call, just try again and again and they will do it, even if it's for no other reason than you're driving them crazy.’_

Just as Castiel clicked on the last notification to call him back, it started ringing again. He jumped a little, taken by surprise, but he sighed deeply and accepted the call.

“Finally! You fucking answered your phone,” Gabriel screamed on the other end of the line, making Castiel roll his eyes. “I thought you had died or worse, that _Vampiraphne_ had taken you to her house to see her horrible parents and practice the marriage vows...”

Castiel sighed again. He hated it when Gabriel brought that topic up. “I don’t want you to joke about that, Gabriel, you know that very well. It’s in the past and it makes me uncomfortable. If you want to be comical, you have enough material that doesn’t revolve around her, what happened with her family, or me for that matter.”

Gabriel kept quiet and didn’t reply for a few seconds. There was no joke to retort Castiel’s lack of humour, and no witty comment to embarrass him even more. Castiel didn’t know why, but that reaction made him feel even more uneasy. What Gabriel finally replied after his awkward silence didn’t make Castiel feel any better, either.

“I’m sorry. Where are you?” Gabriel asked, in a serious and pensive tone.

Castiel furrowed his brows at the answer and coughed nervously. Gabriel never apologized, much less with such seriousness. “I’m on the train, like I always am at this time of the day… I have to head back to Pontiac—”

“Scratch Pontiac. I need you here, Cassie,” Gabriel replied, making the whole exchange even more mysterious.

Castiel felt himself getting irritated, despite his best efforts not to. “Don’t be offended,  thank you for the invitation, but you’re out of your mind, Gabe,” he replied. “I’m staying at Jimmy’s house these days, as you know. It’s a long commute, an entirely unpleasant one that stresses me greatly, so I ask you to please not make it any worse with whatever you have in mind right now.”

“It’s not time to complain and excuse yourself, Cassie. As I’ve said, we need you here _now_ ,” Gabriel insisted. The use of _‘we’_ worried Castiel to a greater extend. Kali, Gabriel’s wife, would never ask for him at dinner time for no reason if Castiel was far from their house. “How long until you reach the Pontiac Station?”

“I have no idea, Gabe. I fell asleep in the middle of the journey. I will have to check…”

“Then check it, please,” Gabriel replied resolutely, and Castiel had no other option than turning to the old lady and asking her where they were. The lady looked at him, clearly not interested in answering, but did it anyway, in an apathetic fashion.

“Apparently I’ve passed the Dwight station already so… fifteen minutes, more or less?”

“Good, when you’re at the station catch a taxi and come here,” Gabriel insisted.

Castiel was starting to lose his composure, but he didn’t want to have an argument with his cousin in the middle of a train ride, while being stared at. So he chose closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. It worked, partially.

“Gabriel,” he started. “I really don’t want to be rude, but it’s almost eight and I haven’t eaten since lunch. I’ve been working all day on things that don’t fulfil me as much as I’d like… and my brother is waiting for me at his house. Amelia probably made a whole meal, so I won’t be disrespectful to any of them and I will go—”

“If you go to their house you will find it empty,” Gabriel interrupted, never losing his serious tone.

“What are you talking about?” Castiel replied, completely surprised by the response.

“You’ve heard me, Cassie. They’re not at their house, they’re here with us.” Gabriel offered as an explanation. “When I say ‘ _we’_ are waiting for you, I’m being honest. _We_ are waiting for you, with pizza. We've got something to tell you.”

There was something in Gabriel’s tone that Castiel didn’t like in the slightest. It was not only the seriousness, which was weird enough for Castiel to be concerned, but also the hint of _something else_ that made him feel nervous in advance. He couldn't quite figure out what it was.

“But you live in Cornell,” Castiel tried, as the ultimate excuse to delay the forthcoming conversation that he was sure they would be having.

Gabriel left him no chance to say _no_ after that. “If you take a taxi as I’ve suggested you, it's only ten minutes to my house. If you can’t pay it, I will  take care of it. Cassie… I’m not joking, we need to talk to you. Come to my house. If you think is late to go back to Pontiac when we finish you can still sleep here.”

After that, the conversation was over. Castiel looked at the phone, feeling defeated, and leaned his head back on the seat. He was extremely tired already. Work had been even more stressful than usual and he really didn't need any more reasons for a headache. Castiel didn’t want to think about it until he arrived at his cousin’s house, but the only reason why Gabriel would act in such a solemn way was because… No, he didn’t want to get worried over nothing.

When the train finally arrived, Castiel walked to _Waffle’s Diner_ , at the other side of the station. He called an uber, because taxis were unlikely to come to that particular area, and sat at the curb. He thought he was a pathetic sight for the passers-by, all roughed up and disheartened. Castiel couldn’t help the appearance, though. It was the vivid image of his life: it sucked. When the car finally arrived, several minutes later, Castiel was still sitting at the curb and groaned tiredly when he got up, brushing off his slacks.

The driver was not especially talkative, and Castiel was very thankful for that small blessing. He stayed quiet for the most part of their ride and it helped Castiel to observe the landscapes and the Vermilion River while they were driving by. The peaceful view relaxed him a little and when they finally reached Cornell, he felt as if everything was going to be alright.

After all, his life sucked, but it couldn’t suck _that much_.

Gabriel didn’t live far from the main street, so the rest of the journey was short and uneventful. Sooner than expected, he was in front of the house. Brown bricks and black roof tiles were its distinctive features, surrounded by a big garden with lilacs and sunflowers - Gabriel and Kali’s favourite flowers. It was a singular bungalow, built from the ground by the couple itself. They had been together for more than a decade and if he was honest with himself, Castiel was a little envious of them. He would really love to have a relationship like theirs, with ups and downs, but always figuring out their problems together.

Castiel rang the bell after taking a deep breath and waited. It was cold outside, even though it was supposed to be spring. Castiel rubbed his arms. He tugged at the sleeve of his trenchcoat at the same time the door was opened. Gabriel, with his long blonde hair and striking honey eyes, looked at him and faked a smile that Castiel reciprocated.

“You look like shit,” Gabriel said, trying to lighten the mood.

Castiel smiled again, this time in defeat.

“I’ve been travelling with public transportation for two and a half hours,” he justified himself, and Gabriel patted him on the shoulder, shoving a bit to make him go into the living room.

Castiel found himself both surprised and not at all when he discovered that literally _everybody_ was there. Not only Kali, Jimmy and Amelia, as Gabriel had told him over the phone, but also Gabriel’s siblings Balthazar and Inias with their wives Hannah and Hester.

Castiel scratched his head before walking up to the table, where four pizza boxes were placed, still untouched. The guests sitting around the table were all looking at him, some of them already having a drink, with their faces expressionless, and Castiel realized the whole thing might be way worse than he anticipated.

Yeah, clearly his life could always suck a little more.

Castiel said _hello_ to everybody, and they nodded in acknowledgement. Balthazar stood up and took the seat beside him, making a gesture for Castiel to sit down.

“Why the hell do you take the train and make such a journey everyday when you can live at our house?” Balthazar asked, looking at Hannah, who nodded. “We live ten minutes from the office, Cassie, you shouldn’t—”

“I’ve already told you. I don’t want to impose,” Castiel interrupted, feeling defeated by the way his cousin was looking at him.

“And I already told you that you don’t _impose_ ,” Balthazar replied. “If you travel four hours a day to go to Jimmy’s and work at the office more than eight… when do you have time to enjoy your life?”

“I don’t _enjoy my life_ , Balt. It’s as simple as that,” Castiel answered loudly enough for the rest of the guests to hear him. “Why are we here?” He asked then, looking one by one at all his relatives, who stayed quiet until Gabriel decided to be the one to break the ice.

“We are here because we need to discuss for real what we will do about you. Your situation has skyrocketed more than any of us wanted to, and it needs to stop,” he said, and Castiel’s heart started beating quickly. What was Gabriel talking about?

Looking at his cousin, he said, a little confused. “I’ve told you more than once that I can find my own place, my own job… that I can take care of myself. I understand you all love me and want to protect me, and I know I’m a burden, and—”

“Castiel,” Jimmy warned, but his brother didn’t pay attention and continued with the monologue.

“Castiel,” said Kali, louder than Jimmy, and Castiel looked at her, shutting up abruptly. She was fierce and passionate, and Castiel admired her a lot. “Nobody said you were a burden,” she tried.

“That’s what Gabriel has just implied, and I understand—”

“I’ve _implied_ shit,” Gabriel replied, sounding a little bewildered by Castiel’s stubbornness. “I don’t get why you hate yourself so much, at the point it apparently makes you deaf and blind. We’re here because we care about you, all of us, and because we really want you to be happy. I said we need to discuss what we will do with you, because we want something _better_ for you. We don’t want you to hide forever as you’re doing now because you’re afraid your mother will find you. That’s not normal. I understand if you tend to think life sucks, you have your reasons, but we’re not Naomi. Don’t think about us that low.”

Hearing the name of his mother sent shivers down to his spine, in a less than pleasant way. He distracted himself by watching how Amelia opened the pizza boxes and served each of them a slice.

“I’m sorry Gabe, but I don’t want to talk about my mother right now,” he replied when the silence became too awkward to ignore, closing his eyes for a moment, his still untouched slice of pizza getting colder with every passing second.

“The sad thing is we really have to talk about her,” Jimmy replied, catching Castiel’s attention. He opened his eyes and looked at his brother, disconcerted. “Today I went to mom’s house, you know? I wanted to get the rest of your clothes, as well as some other personal things you left behind, and bring them to my house. I got everything, by the way. It was during my second or third trip to the car, hands full, that I realized neither mom nor Zachariah had noticed I was there. I was waiting for a confrontation, but it never came.” Castiel nodded, in complete understanding. It was impossible to face Naomi without getting involved in a heated discussion. “You might wonder why they didn’t see me, don’t you?” Jimmy asked, and Castiel had no other option but nodding again. “I looked around, but the house is insufferably big so I didn’t see them for a long time. That was until I heard people laughing in the backyard and I walked there to see. They were there, clearly, but not alone…”

“Why are you making it sound like you’re narrating a horror story? Just say it,” Castiel replied, completely demoralized. He imagined what his brother was going to say next and he didn’t want to delay the inevitable. Even though he was nervous, he was also starving, so he started eating his pizza.

“It was Daphne and her parents,” Jimmy added, confirming all of Castiel’s fears. The pizza felt heavy in his stomach. “And it’s obvious you know this, but I have to say it anyway: they weren't there for a friendly chit chat…”

“I can imagine,” Castiel replied, and said nothing else.

“They were still planning the wedding, brother.”

“For when?” Castiel dared to ask.

“Next week,” Jimmy replied, and Castiel had to drink the whole glass of soda in one gulp in order not to pass out.

“Were they planning the engagement dinner as well?” he asked, frustrated.

“Of course,” Jimmy replied. “This weekend.”

The atmosphere in the room was tense, and no one else said a word for a while. They kept on eating, all together in compassionate silence, until Balthazar couldn’t stand it any longer and started talking again.

“Daphne was trying on her wedding dress this afternoon, Cassie. They set a date for the wedding, even though they know very well that you don’t want to be part of it, much less as the fucking groom!” he said, sounding bemused. “They don’t care about your opinion at all, I can’t believe how disgusting they are. Jimmy is not prepared to say this and I understand him, because we’re talking about his mother, but aunt Naomi has completely lost her mind. At this point, I honestly think she can’t be saved at all. How many times have you told her you won’t get married like this?”

“Too many times to keep count,” Castiel replied, helplessly.

“And still, how many times has she insisted?” Balthazar asked again.

“Practically everyday, more than once, if she can,” Castiel replied, causing the rest of his family to groan. They were equally worried and frustrated by the whole thing. “To begin with, she doesn’t understand that my problem is not Daphne herself. Obviously I don’t like her, but the point she doesn’t get is that I don't want to get married to _any_ girl,” he added. “Of course she won’t get either that people may use their free will when it comes to their own weddings. She just… She just approves of what she thinks it’s best, the rest is ignored.”

“When I was a kid, she used to be completely different,” Gabriel pointed out, angrily.

“You’ve just said it, she _used to be_ ,” Jimmy replied.

They all fell silent again. The rest of the meal remained mostly quiet, too, even with nine people around the table. Gabriel and Balthazar made attempts of some small talk here and there, but nothing remotely interesting was said.

“We're all sitting at a round table. No head, all serious, thinking about important things.... We might as well be King Arthur and his Knights,” Balthazar joked, after his fourth slice. Hannah smiled and shook her head affectionately, Gabriel laughed hysterically (because he laughed hysterically about practically everything), but everyone else remained quiet.

Castiel looked at Hester, who was sitting in front of him, rolling her eyes at Balthazar. The gesture made Castiel furrow his brows. It might not have been a good joke, but Balthazar was at least trying to cheer his family up a little bit. It was more than what Hester was doing, anyway, acting all serious and petulant. If Castiel didn't have more important things to think about, he would have asked why Hester was there at all. She had never been his friend, or someone he could relate to.

Kali and Gabriel cleaned the table when the pizzas had disappeared, while the other guests remained in their seats, looking at one another. The couple came back a few minutes later, two big trays with coffee cups, sugar and milk, as well as some cookies in their hands. Everybody thanked them and started drinking. Castiel couldn’t stand the awkwardness anymore.

“I don’t understand what you want me to do…” he said, making everybody look at him. It was pointless, ignoring the topic this whole dinner was based on. He had to face his shitty circumstances, and face them bravely. “I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried talking to her, it was futile and stressing. I thought moving out of her house would be a solution, but she is still bothering you all with calls everyday, wanting to know what I’m doing and when I’m going to _‘behave rationally’_. I thought quitting my job at Zachariah’s enterprise would do the trick, since I was breaking all my ties with her for good… but she still finds a way to keep on pressuring me.”

“I’ve told Becky not to transfer her calls to you—”

“I know, Balthazar, and she doesn’t transfer them to me anymore, so don’t be angry with her. Mother has my phone number, even though I had it changed twice. And somehow she found out my extension at the office as well.”

Balthazar groaned.

“She’s a psycho, you should press charges against her,” Kali interrupted and Castiel looked at her as if she had grown a second head.

“How could I do that? She’s still my mother,” he replied, and tried to find some comfort on his brother’s eyes, but the look he saw in them was more one of pity than anything else. “Jimmy?” Castiel tried. “Why are you making that face? You know mom had a hard life and—”

“She had a hard life, but that doesn’t mean she has to make yours miserable, too” Jimmy replied, seriously. “She couldn’t control me, so she’s using all her energies to influence you. That’s not okay… You’re not responsible for her failed relationship with our father, or for getting involved with Zachariah and his despicable family. It has to stop—”

“Why don’t you just do as she says so we can end this pathetic conversation?” Hester asked suddenly and everybody turned to look at her, shocked.

“What are you talking about?” Hannah replied, her blue eyes filled with so much anger in her glare at Hester that it made Castiel tremble. She was a sweetheart, but also not someone to mess with.

“You heard me, unless you’re deaf,” Hester replied, in a mixture of self-sufficiency and sarcasm that Castiel hated. “Naomi is his mother, and a good mother if you ask me. If she’s suggesting a marriage between Castiel and Daphne, then she does so because she considers it to be the best for Castiel’s life. You should stop trying to deny it.”

“Since when are Naomi’s considerations more important than Cassie’s? We are talking about Cassie’s life here, not hers,” Balthazar replied to Hester, his pale skin turning redder with every passing second. For a moment, Castiel feared he would erupt like a volcano.

“Since she’s the one that paid for Castiel’s education, for instance,” Hester replied. “He whimmed with being a writer, and she complied even when she didn’t want to.”

“What the hell?” Gabriel asked, practically screaming. Inias was white as a sheet, extremely embarrassed by his wife’s behaviour. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s his duty, respecting her,” Hester insisted. Inias tried to take her hand, in a clear gesture to stop the argument they were about to have, but Hester freed herself from him, raising the volume of her voice and pointing at Gabriel with her finger. “Naomi did everything for these two,” she yelled, now gesturing at Jimmy and Castiel with her head. “She said nothing when Jimmy appeared already married with a non-religious woman…”

“I have a name,” Amelia interrupted, but Hester ignored her.

“...when all she has ever asked of him was to marry a girl from her church,” Hester kept on ranting. It made both Balthazar and Gabriel laugh. Jimmy shook his head in anger.

“She didn’t want me to marry _‘a girl from her church’_ , as you say,” Jimmy replied, as calmly as he could. “She wanted me to marry Megan, specifically because she was the pastor’s niece. I wouldn’t have married her for anything in the world, Hester, and you know perfectly well why,”

“She is a girl from a good family,” Hester insisted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Her father was nuts,” Jimmy replied, amused. “And she practiced black magic when nobody was watching her, for God’s sake. With blood and dolls and fucking everything! She said she loved Lucifer! Why would I want to marry someone like her? Because she would have benefit my step-father in his social hierarchy? That’s ridiculous! If that’s enough for you and you think she was so good, you should have married her instead of me.” He sighed, making a pause. “I don’t want to be an asshole with you, but if you’re not going to help us find a solution for Castiel’s problem, then maybe you should leave,” he said.

Castiel stared at Hester. She looked completely out of her element.

“You two _love Lucifer_ , your choices in life make it evident. You enjoy sinning,” Hester replied. “You’re unmanageable and dirty. Poor Naomi, having to deal with a misfit and a fag, when she’s such a good mother. I’m glad I’m not related to any of you by blood,” she finished.

“If we’re going to be completely honest here, well darling, I’m as well grateful that you’re a postmenopausal woman,” Balthazar said suddenly, at the same time Jimmy was opening his mouth to reply. The silence that followed his statement was sepulchral, the air dense enough for a knife to be able to cut it. Balthazar didn’t pay attention to his surroundings, though. “If you are still wondering why, let me explain it to you. It’s for two different reasons, in fact. First one: you won’t be able to have any kids with my older brother, so you won’t be able to ruin both my potential nephews and Inias’ lives. And second: because you won’t be able to have kids with anyone else, if Inias is wise enough to get divorced from you. It would free every kid in the world from your stupidity. In this particular case, nature has been very wise.”

Castiel didn’t know how much time passed from the moment Balthazar stopped talking to when Hester stood up from her chair and stormed out of the room, externalizing some hurtful adjectives at her brother-in-law. Only a couple of seconds, probably.

“It’s the first time someone calls me a _misfit_ because I got married to my first girlfriend and I work as an accountant in an insurance company…” Jimmy said, at the same time they heard the slam at the front door, officially announcing that Hester was out of the house.

Inias was still at the table, however, looking small and tired.

“I’m sorry about her attitude, I really am,” he finally said, and stood up as well. “We will talk later, guys. Sorry again,” he repeated and left the living room.

“Why do you have to leave? She’s adult enough to drive the car alone,” Balthazar said to his brother, making him stop before opening the front door. Inias turned around, and even though Castiel couldn’t see him clearly by the distance, he knew he looked ashamed.

“I know, it’s just… You don’t understand,” he sighed and opened the door. “We will talk later. Good luck, Castiel. I don’t want to see you suffering like this, no matter what my wife says. Hope you can find a way to get rid of your problems really soon,” he said.

Castiel knew he was being sincere, and he also knew Inias’ relationship with Hester was always a whirlwind full of conflicts and arguments, so he smiled. Everybody’s got demons. “I know, cousin. Thank you. Take care,” he said and Inias nodded, leaving the house as well.

“What an eventful night,” Balthazar joked, getting more comfortable in his seat. He was satisfied with the reaction he got from his sister-in-law, and he couldn’t help the smile on his face. Hannah looked at him a little worried, and he looked back at her, shrugging his shoulders. “What?” he asked.

Hannah rolled her eyes. “What you said to her was rude,” she answered.

“I know, of course, but I don’t care,” Balthazar replied to her honestly. “She was being an asshole to my loved ones, I had no other option. Fag? Misfit? C’mon... If we’re fortunate enough next time she opens her big mouth she will know how it feels and won’t humiliate anyone else in public.”   

Hannah sighed and shook her head, but resolved to keep on drinking her coffee instead of answering. Balthazar could be really obtuse when he wanted to.

“He’s my brother... I love him and everything, but he should have known better than bringing her here,” Gabriel added. “Hester doesn’t like us, she doesn’t consider us as good as she is… her presence in this reunion was completely pointless. Anyway…” he added, “I didn’t even want her to listen to my idea so… good riddance. I’m happy she left. I can tell Inias later.”

“Your idea? What do you mean with _your idea_?” Castiel asked, turning his head to his cousin as  fast as his body allowed it.

It was the first time he saw Gabriel wearing a sincere smile after such an eventful but disastrous dinner. “Wait a minute, you will love it,” he said and stood up again, leaving the living room.

“I highly doubt it,” Castiel expressed, gaining some laughs from his friends. Balthazar patted him at the shoulder, affectionately.

“I assure you this is the best solution we could think about,” he said and Castiel looked at him, confused. “You will see,” Balthazar added, at the same time a song started playing at Gabriel’s entertainment system. He appeared with a laptop in his hands, some papers and pens, a big poster rolled up with a ribbon and…

“A raffle box?” Castiel asked, astonished.

Gabriel paid no attention to him, really engrossed in singing the song as loud as he could. _“The future's in the air, I can feel it everywhere, blowing with the wind of change…”_ he sang while putting the objects on the table and handing the laptop to his wife. “Oh, what a song… please honey, take it just for a minute,” he said and Kali made a face, taking the computer. Castiel supposed by the look of her face she was analysing why she got married to him, but Castiel couldn’t be sure of it. Gabriel, on the contrary, stayed in his own world, singing and humming.

He unrolled the poster and Castiel discovered it was a world map, which only increased his doubts.

“We’re gonna play a board game instead of discussing whatever you want us to discuss?” he asked, completely puzzled.

Jimmy helped Gabriel with the map, putting a coffee cup in each border, to make it stay still. “More or less, yeah…” he said, and Castiel felt more and more lost with every passing moment.

“You need, as the song says, a _wind of change_ ,” Gabriel said, taking the laptop again and turning it on. “When Jimmy came this afternoon and told Kali and me about this little inconvenience, we thought… _what can Cassie do to get rid of his mother?_ We considered murder and kidnap—”

“Gabriel,” Kali warned.

“It’s a joke!” Gabriel justified and kept on talking. “Since we’re not murderers or kidnappers, they weren’t the best ideas… Then we asked Balthazar,” he said, pointing to his brother, who raised his hand. “He came with my favourite sister-in-law, and the six of us ideated this plan. We have enough proof to say it’s practically impossible for you to disappear from Naomi while you’re in the states… so clearly, my dear Cassie, you need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

Castiel had no idea of what to say. He looked at all his friends, who were nodding in different levels of intensity and then at Jimmy, who was staring at him with a concerned look in his face. “What is he talking about?” Castiel asked his brother, who gasped.

“You need to go,” Jimmy clarified. “At least until mom gets obsessed over something or someone else that has nothing to do with you. If you stay here she will throw you off balance, she will get you sick, and I seriously don’t want that. I love you too much for that, brother.”

“But that…” Castiel started, getting red. “What are you saying? Leaving the country?” Jimmy nodded. “That would be like running away… you all said I didn’t have to hide! I’m not a criminal, I don’t have to escape, I’ve made nothing wrong. It’s my life, I...” he stopped.

“That’s exactly why you need to go,” Hannah emphasized. Castiel was surprised by her support at such a mad plan. She was down to earth and thoughtful. She couldn't agree with Jimmy and Gabriel. “If you don’t go somewhere your mother can’t find you, she will make your life a living hell. You’re an adult, and a professional who burned the midnight oil to get your degree. It's unfair you have to work at something that doesn’t fulfil you just because she doesn’t like you anywhere but under her new husband’s control. You need to be free, and experience things by yourself without feeling pressure or tensions.”

“And what kind of guarantee do I have that I will find that in another country, of all places?” Castiel insisted, his heart beating like crazy against his chest.

“You’ve already tried here, and it didn’t work,” Hannah insisted. “Naomi keeps on telling you that you don’t like Daphne because you’re ill but she will cure you when you get married… that the profession you love is disgusting because it gives you rebellious thoughts… how can you breathe calmly and live your life if you’re stressed like that?”

“Perhaps I’ve just not been clear enough with her, I should—”

“You’ve been more than clear,” Jimmy interrupted. “Stop justifying her, mom has problems, Castiel, and she shouldn’t involve you in them.”

“But she does anyway…”

“Then, let her go!” Jimmy yelled, surprising everybody. “Do you think you’re the only one who suffers from her opinions and judgements? You know you aren’t. And still, what made me stronger than you is the fact I’ve ignored her most of the times. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t love her, or anything… I just love myself more. Also, I have a wife and a child who mean the whole world to me, and I protect them from every issue she could cause. I owe them that, because they love me too. You need exactly that, Cassie. A wake-up call. You need to discover what you’re made of, and you can’t do that with our mother breathing on your neck all the time.”

Castiel stayed quiet. He felt like crying, but instead he breathed deeply and maintained his composure. If he was trying to show he was a strong man, crying in front of them all to release the pressure he felt on his chest wouldn’t help to prove his point.

“Wherever I went, I would be alone,” Castiel said.

“That’s quite the point,” Balthazar replied. “Alone and at peace,” he added.

Castiel shook his head, disagreeing. “You don’t understand. I mean… I don’t want to be away from you,” he said, and it was true. Those people at the table with him were his closest friends, his most beloved people. Castiel didn’t want to lose them.

“We’re not going anywhere, you fool,” Balthazar replied. “You have our numbers, we can skype as much as you want… our mutual feelings of appreciation and love won’t change because you’re somewhere else living a happier life. You can come back here as much as you want to, as well. If a destination doesn’t suit you, then change it, or come here to visit us. We can do the same once you’ve settled down. The sky's the limit.”

“Changes always hurt, and they’re likely complicated, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to make them,” Amelia added. It was weird how they were all trying to convince him, Castiel thought. They were all so different and still…

“I still think it’s like running away,” Castiel insisted stubbornly. His tone, however, after hours of discussion, started to sound hesitant even to himself.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re running away. Don’t be such a prude, Cassie. Why don’t you think it’s just a second wind in your life… that you will feel more relaxed for once to do whatever you want to do? You’d be finding your place in the world,” Gabriel replied.

The rest of his friends nodded. They made it sound so simple...

Castiel remained quiet, thinking about a good counter-attack.  He looked at every one of them, trying to discover if they were unsure of their arguments, if he could find a hole in their plot. It was impossible. They made it sound simple because they believed it was.

There was no counter-attack. Castiel grumbled, knowing deep down he was being obtuse. “I have a job I can’t abandon,” he said, though, as a last ditch effort.

Balthazar groaned at it. “Who’s your boss?” he asked, and Castiel counted to three.

“You,” he said and Balthazar nodded.

“So, if that’s your problem, I’m telling you you’re fucking fired or under activity license, or whatever the hell you want to hear,” he replied, and some of their friends laughed at the response. Castiel couldn’t help smiling a little, too. “Do you like that better?”

Castiel nodded quietly, and Balthazar thumbed up at him in response.

“Assuming I’m saying _yes_ and I’m getting on board with your plan,” Castiel started and everybody cheered. “I said _assuming_ , don’t get too happy,” he added, receiving eyerolls in response. “Where you do think I should go?”

Gabriel considered it for a moment. “That’s the most important question, darling, but we have no answer for it. You’d be the one leaving. Where do you want to go?”

“Well, if I’m honest, I’ve never thought about it before, I’ve never left Illinois, and I never thought I would… so...” Castiel paused. “It has to be cheap, I don’t have a lot of money saved, and—”

“Don’t worry about money,” Jimmy said and Castiel tilted his head at it. “We all talked before you came and we’re open to give you some financial assistance—”

“No, no, no,” Castiel interrupted and Jimmy sighed deeply at his brother’s reaction. “I can’t accept your money… I have some money saved, I can take care of it… I—”

“Shut up, Cassie,” Balthazar replied. “If we say we can help, it’s because we can help. We’re offering you a solution to your problem, but it’s something expensive so we will contribute to take care of it. We’re part of this plan, in more than one way. How much money do you have saved?”

“Well… I should check my debit card but I’ve been saving a lot since I thought I would move in, so… more or less fifteen thousand?” he replied, unsure.

“Good, that’s an interesting amount,” Balthazar replied. “I will make some movements at the office and I will assign you a new card in name of the company so your mother doesn’t go into stalker mode and finds out where you are by pestering my employees. Your own card should be left untouched, so she can’t see what you’re doing with your money.”

“Don’t you think you’re over exaggerating a little—”

“NO,” everybody said at the same time, and Castiel couldn’t help by smirking.

“A stitch in time saves nine, my lovely Cassie,” Gabriel replied, and Castiel couldn’t say he didn’t agree with that. Naomi could be really dangerous when she wanted to, and clearly she wouldn’t receive the news well when Castiel disappeared.

_‘If,’_ Castiel thought internally. _‘If I disappear.’_

“We will pay the plane ticket as well, I will use my personal credit card. If the bank ever tells an unknown creepy where I spend my money on, I will stop working with them altogether,” he added and Castiel looked at him in awe. Balthazar was older than he was, by five years. His cousin was elegant and a fashionista, the head of his own company, always looking for more and better challenges. Castiel had always coveted his eagerness to succeed and how quickly he came up with solutions and alternatives.

“So… _the place_ , we haven’t discussed that yet,” Jimmy said, with a expectant tone. Whoever didn’t know him would say he sounded happy because his brother was leaving far from his radar, but that was not the expression Castiel recognized in Jimmy’s face. Castiel saw that he was looking forward to the prospect of Castiel being free for once after a tough childhood. That Castiel could feel as free as he did. The realization gave Castiel confidence.

“That’s why I brought my arsenal! We will have a raffle!” Gabriel said and shook the raffle box in enthusiasm. Kali facepalmed at it, but Hannah and Jimmy were laughing.

“Stop it with the noise, it’s not a maraca,” Balthazar complained and Gabriel groaned.

“I love maracas!” Gabriel replied and made it sound a little more, just to prove the point he didn’t care in the slightest that he was bothering his brother, and put it on the table. “Well, let’s get serious. When we first talked about this thing today, I supposed that if Castiel agreed to it, he would have no idea where to go, and it got me thinking for a while. If we start talking about countries and options we will be discussing for weeks, and everybody would have something to point out every single time. So I thought… why don’t we leave it to chance? We can’t afford a delay, they scheduled the wedding to be performed next week. The quicker the better, and a raffle is the fairest alternative. What do you think?”

“What if I get… I don’t know… Iceland, for instance?” Castiel wondered, doubtful.

“Oh…” Gabriel groaned. “After my amazing monologue, that’s the question you ask me? What’s wrong with Iceland, anyway?” he went on, turning on the laptop and tearing sheets of papers out of the notebook. “If you’re cold you buy a fucking winter jacket and that’s it.” Gabriel logged in the laptop and opened the internet browser. “I started looking at random generators and I found one exclusively made for countries. Isn’t the Internet weird? I think it’s fascinating!” He turned the laptop around and showed the page to his friends, who looked at it with interest. “You click and _voilá_! A random country! Then again… _hocus-pocus_! Another country! It’s incredible,” he expressed and handed the pieces of paper to Jimmy, who took them, cautious. “My idea is to work as a group. We choose ten countries randomly with this masterpiece and assign each country a number. Then we make the raffle box choose one, and we make a second raffle, this time with the pieces of paper. We will have two options out of ten. Cassie will choose which one of those two he likes the best and _boom_ … Cassie flies to his new life.”

Castiel furrowed the brows. “Isn’t it a little bit complicated?”

“No, it simply gives it _suspense_ ,” Gabriel replied and kept on looking at his laptop. He handed Jimmy a pen. “Note the countries down with the name and the number. Don’t cheat,” he said to Jimmy, who rolled his eyes.

“Why would I cheat?” he wondered, but Gabriel didn't reply, making a spectacle every single time he clicked at the webpage and announced a name. Jimmy noted the countries down as Gabriel instructed, asking for a spell out more often than not.

“Weren’t you good in Geography or what?” Gabriel joked, making everybody laugh.

It was not Jimmy’s problem, though, according to Castiel. The webpage was really random, and some of the countries that were selected by Gabriel’s raffle were extremely unexpected as well as, clearly, not first selections for tourism destinations. Castiel wide-eyed at a couple of announcements, even though he thought it best to point out his discomfort only if one of them was selected by the raffle box. Castiel didn’t want to upset Gabriel, who was reading the countries’ descriptions with enthusiasm while doing the selection and clearly having fun with everybody else.

“Japan!” Gabriel announced as the fifth selection, and Castiel couldn’t help smiling. It was literally on the other side of the world, and their culture was totally different from the american, but Castiel would be lying if he said it was not a desire of his to travel and visit it properly. “Island country of East Asia… the Land of the Rising Sun… developed country, blah, blah, blah,” Gabriel read from the website. “It doesn’t say it here, but you would be surrounded by Pokemons as well,” he joked and everybody laughed.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Castiel replied, that made Gabriel groan in frustration, since Castiel never got his jokes. “But I would certainly love visiting it,” he added, and Gabriel smirked.

“Cool, honey, then pray to Buddha so it’s chosen in the final raffle,” he said and clicked again. “Oh, look at this Balth! Puerto Rico!” he announced and Balthazar cheered. When Hannah looked at his husband in reprobation he blushed a little, and tried to defend himself.

“I’m not happy for me, I’m happy for the hot women my cousin will meet,” he tried.

Castiel rolled his eyes. “I’m not interested in women, Balthazar,” he replied.

“Well…” Balthazar said next. “You will find hot men as well, I was told everybody is hot there… so, sex opportunities for you wherever you look,” he added.

Castiel didn’t look excited about the prospect. “You’re stereotyping, I don’t feel comfortable with that. I’m not interested in sex either, and you know that very well, as long as I don’t have a connection with the person I’m with.”

“Oh, c’mon Cassie, gimme a break!” Balthazar complained and Gabriel interrupted him, announcing Belarus as the seventh country, so the bickering was stopped.

Castiel breathed nervously as the rest of the procedure was completed. They may be playing and having fun, but they were also cavorting with his destiny, almost as if they were taking for granted such a pivotal decision for Castiel’s life. He gulped as the last country was announced and Jimmy noted it down while making a joke about _tango_. Castiel had no idea what they were talking about. He had been in his own world since the moment he had the revelation. However, he smiled at his friends, in order not to worry them too much.

Gabriel revised the list before taking the raffle box, and then finally Castiel heard the couple of countries he couldn’t listen to before. They were, if anything, peculiar. Castiel didn’t know how to react to that.

Suddenly the noise of the marbles going round and round in the raffle box invaded the room and Castiel was glad the furtive and powerful beats of his heart were going unnoticed. Everybody else looked wrought up, and Castiel could understand why. It wasn’t their lives that were planned to drastically change.

Gabriel stopped the raffle box after some more seconds of spectacle and laughs, and took a marble out of it. He looked at it and laughed, turning it around so that everybody could see it.

“Ten,” he announced, and Jimmy looked at the sheets in excitement, even when he probably knew what country his cousin was talking about. After all, it was the last one to be announced.

Jimmy smiled as well, and took the paper, turning it around.

“Argentina,” he said, and Castiel’s heart skipped a beat. He had always been good at school and prep, as well as college (even when it was a stressful phase of his life), but he had limited knowledge in regards of that country. He knew it was South America, and they did speak spanish, but apart from that…

“I basically don’t know anything about that place…” he recognized in shock, and everybody turned to look at him, surprised. “What if…” he wondered. He had frozen, he didn’t know what he was saying. “What if they don’t accept immigrants or something and I go there—”

Balthazar took Castiel’s hand, making him feel calmer. “Cassie, they do, what you’re saying is a nonsense. Breathe in and breathe out. It’s not a bad choice, if you ask me. People there seem okay to me. You still have the second raffle, though. Don’t get overstressed.”

Gabriel shook his head, and went to the kitchen. He came back seconds later, with a bowl in his hands. He put it on the table and asked Jimmy to fold the sheets and put them inside it. He kept on saying nothing to Castiel, completely focused on his task. When Jimmy’s work was over Gabriel took the bowl and started mixing all the papers out. He did it for a moment, then he stopped and handed the bowl to Castiel, finally speaking to him again.

“Don’t boycott your own life, Cassie,” he said, and Castiel blushed a little at it, embarrassed by his reaction. “Choose a paper,” he instructed and Castiel stared at his cousin, doubting for a moment. When Castiel realized he would get nothing from his stare but a bigger discussion, he drove his hand into the bowl, and took a paper.

Gabriel smiled and left the bowl aside, waiting patiently until Castiel unfolded the paper and read its content. When he finally did, everybody was surprised, including himself.

“Argentina,” he said, again, in complete disbelief.

“Wow,” Amelia replied, and kept quiet for a while. “I would call that _destiny_ , wouldn’t you?” he added, and everybody nodded, except for Castiel.

“I don’t know if I believe in destiny, sister,” he said, looking at the piece of paper as it hid the secrets of the universe on it. Castiel couldn’t believe what had just happened. It was one possibility out of ten. And it came to pass twice.

“If I were you I would start believing, Cassie…” Gabriel said and asked everybody to gather together. “We’re going to discover where our beloved Cassie will live from now on…”

“I’ve not said _yes_ , yet,” Castiel replied, still looking at the paper. The rest of the gang, who already stood behind Gabriel and the laptop, looked at him. Some of them with tiredness in their eyes.

“What do you want?” Jimmy asked, sounding exasperated. “Do you want to stay here and be an easy target for both mom and Daphne’s family? They are as crazy as our mother, if you remember…”

“I haven’t forgotten,” Castiel replied, stubbornly.

“Then grow a pair, you’re better than this,” Jimmy replied. “You weren’t made to be hidden. You’re brave and intelligent. You just need to get out of this toxic environment to be free. For a while, at least. If you try it and you don’t like it, come back here and we will receive you with open arms, we will think about a new plan. Our houses are yours, and you know it. Just…” He stopped. “Stop underestimating yourself and thinking you’re not good enough to try a new experience that can save your mental sanity. I don’t want my only brother to suffer like this...”

Castiel stared at Jimmy for a while, but his grave expression didn’t change. After some seconds he realised he was acting like a child, so he stood up like the rest of them and went to take a look at Gabriel’s laptop. Castiel couldn’t help noticing Jimmy’s smile.

“Let’s see where your adventure will be…” Gabriel started, opening Wikipedia. The others kept on looking at the screen, whereas only Balthazar and Gabriel spoke up facts they were reading, here and there. “Mmm… _located in South America, its official language is Spanish_ , we already know that,” he said. “Oh, the _eighth largest country in the world_ , I definitely didn’t know that.”

“Plenty of space for you to travel and know people, that’s what you need,” Jimmy said. Castiel couldn’t argue with it. He had a point.

“Oh, look at this…” Balthazar said, sounding excited. “ _Retains its historic status as a middle power in international affairs and it’s classified as a high-income economy._ As I’ve said… it’s a good option for you… apart from the fact of the latino women that you won’t appreciate.”

Hannah elbowed her husband, who groaned, making everybody laugh, including Castiel.

“Let’s see the Geography,” Gabriel said, and clicked on a section of the article. What loaded next surprised everybody and Castiel couldn’t help opening his mouth in amazement. “What a place,” Gabriel said, and the others nodded, too astonished to say anything else.

  


 

“Which of these places should I visit first?” Castiel found himself saying with incredulity. He didn’t realize he was speaking out loud until the rest of his friends turned to look at him. “It’s just a question…” he tried, in a vain attempt to convince the others he was not considering the idea.

“Well… to answer your _question_ I think you should visit the capital first,” Jimmy replied. “ _Buenos Aires_ , isn’t it?” he asked and Gabriel nodded, looking for some pictures on Google.

Castiel looked at them all, his heart beating fastly. It looked like a metropolis, lights everywhere, tons of people in the streets. “It looks like a place where a lot of things happen,” he said, and Gabriel smirked.

“I was told once that people there are passionate and welcoming. Also, the capital city is called the _Paris of America_ , so that should come from somewhere, don’t you think?” Gabriel replied, and Castiel nodded imperceptibly.

They stayed like that for a while, looking for information about different places in the country, as well as videos talking about Argentina as a whole, its traditions and people. At some point, Castiel glimpsed at the clock and noticed it was past from midnight. When he told his friends, they agreed they didn’t realized time had passed that fast, either. After a week of hard work and stressful pieces of news it was almost a miracle.

“Do you really think I should do this?” Castiel asked, when Gabriel closed the laptop and everybody else stood up from their chairs, yawning.

Jimmy looked at him, somehow disappointed that Castiel was still unsure of what was better for him at that point. He said nothing, though, since Gabriel spoke first.

“It’s late, we should already be sleeping. I suppose it will be better if we speak about this tomorrow. You don’t have to say _yes_ or _no_ right now, we will discuss it again at breakfast.”

“Let’s get the rooms prepared,” Kali said and Hannah, Balthazar and Gabriel went behind her.

“At this point you know what I think,” Jimmy replied, when they were left alone. Amelia went to the kitchen, excusing herself and saying she needed to drink water, but Castiel knew it was a tall tale. He looked at his brother, who went on. “I don’t want you to think that I’m obliging you or that I won’t miss you… I will, immensely, and I will have a hard time explaining Claire that you won’t be able to have big movie marathons with her for a while…” he paused, and Castiel felt tears in his eyes, as well as in Jimmy’s. Castiel rubbed his hand against his face, trying not to cry. It was useless. “But you know as well that mother won’t leave you alone. And when the Daphne phase is over, if we are lucky enough, she will find something else to pester you with… or _someone_ new. And that’s not how it should be. You have to be free to be whatever you want to be, and settle down with whoever you want to. Mom shouldn’t have a say in that.”

“If I leave, she will start it with you again,” Castiel replied, and Jimmy shook his head, denying it.

“I’m already with Amelia, and she can’t unmarry me,” he replied, and Castiel smirked. “She can’t pressure Crowley into her plans or anything, either. He knows her perfectly,” he added, bringing his boss into the conversation. Jimmy was right about this, though. Fergus Crowley had two or three big discussions with Naomi in the past, back when Jimmy started working with him. She had no power over him, and certainly neither did her religious dogmas.

Jimmy was safe.

“I’m not good with people. I’m afraid I won’t have a good time once I get there,” Castiel confessed. He truly believed that. He felt awkward in front of others, as if his people skills were _rusty_.

“Well, if you let me… I think that’s mom’s fault as well,” Jimmy replied, his tone confident. “She’s always pushing you to do what she wants, to relate only with the people she relates with… that builds a shell. You’re funny and intelligent when you’re comfortable, you are polite and friendly. I’m sure whoever deserves your attention will like you back. You won’t have any problems, you will be one hundred percent Castiel, for once.”

Castiel knew Jimmy had a point, and deep down he knew as well that he had to get out of that place, at least for a while. He breathed deeply and scratched his head with both hands, as if he could decide quicker that way. Jimmy didn’t attempt to stop him.

“Perhaps… just a couple of months,” he finally said, and couldn’t avoid noticing Jimmy’s face. It was lit with joy at the sole idea of Castiel leaving. “But… I will tell you all tomorrow morning. I need tonight for myself.”

“Of course!” Jimmy said, standing up from the sofa. “Don’t rush it… or yeah, rush it, but… you know what I mean,” he said apologetically, and Castiel smirked. He loved his brother, and the realization Jimmy loved him as much as he did was a precious thing. “Whatever you decide, I will have your back. Do you know that?” he added and Castiel nodded. “What would you lose if you tried?”

The question floated in his mind the whole night. Even while he was enjoying the warmth coming from the fireplace, that Gabriel and Kali decided to keep on for Castiel to sleep comfortably, he had a hard time getting his eyes to shut. And when he finally did, he dreamt about planes, hostels and languages he didn’t know how to speak. However, in every single dream he had, every situation he faced, the question Jimmy asked appeared just in time and Castiel managed to solve his predicaments, no matter how complicated they looked.

_‘What would I lose if I tried?’_

Suddenly, everything became clearer for him, even if it was just in the middle of a dream. Castiel smiled, and tucked himself better under the blankets.

He slept like a log for the rest of the night.


	2. En La Ciudad de la Furia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In order to read the English translations to the Spanish sentences I've added here and there, please HOVER those sentences. Please don't click on the links. They will guide you nowhere... :)

♫ [You can listen to the song here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5u_iwszdHU) ♫

When Castiel woke up the following day, he did with a calmness he didn’t know he could have after the events of the night before. The comfortableness of the couch and the blankets Kali had given him made the experience even better, and when Castiel opened his eyes, he had a hard time remembering where he was and how many hours had passed since he fell asleep.

“Oh, look at this! _Sleeping Beauty_ has woken up!” he heard someone say at the other side of the room. It was Gabriel, effectively, leaning on the door frame, with a cup of coffee in his hands. He looked funny in his dino-pajamas (because apparently for him being almost forty years old was not an hindrance to wear whatever he wanted) but his eyes were still wary, as if he had no idea what Castiel could say next.

Castiel stretched his limbs and stood up from the couch, walking to Gabriel with a smile in his face. The gesture made his cousin’s posture relax, and that gave Castiel confidence to talk. “Good morning to you too, Gabe,” he said, trying to break the ice.

“ _Morning_ ? Do you really think we’re still at _morning_?” he asked and pointed out at the clock on the wall. Castiel looked at it and widened his eyes in disbelief. “Yeah, Cassie. Past from noon. You’re a sloth.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” Castiel asked, a little ashamed. The last thing he wanted to do was taking advantage of their hospitality.

“Because you needed to sleep, that’s why. It’s Saturday, Cassie. It’s not that you have an engagement dinner to assist or a great escape to another country to perform…” Gabriel replied, because he couldn’t help being a joker.

Castiel smirked and walked to the kitchen, where he served himself a cup of coffee from the coffee maker. He took a sip and reacted in surprise at the sweetness of the beverage.

“Oh my God,” he exclaimed and stuck his tongue out by the disgust. “How many spoonfuls of sugar did you put on it?” he asked, adding milk in order to cut the overly sweet sensation.

Gabriel winked.

“Ten,” he replied and Castiel groaned. “And If I’m honest, I still think it’s tart.”

“That’s abnormal, Gabe. You will die of a peak of glucose or something similar. Your veins are going to be all obstructed any day from now,” Castiel replied, as serious as he could, but Gabriel replied with a laugh. It was clear his cousin didn’t have time to be a pessimist. “Where is everybody else?” Castiel asked, changing the subject.

Gabriel’s features lighted up and Castiel suddenly feared for the answer he would be receiving. “I can’t believe you didn’t ask sooner,” Gabriel said. “As I’ve explained to you… it’s _afternoon_. So… they are trying to prepare lunch.”

“Trying?” Castiel asked, puzzled.

“Yeah, and it’s supposed to be a surprise so don’t make me speak beforehand. Let’s get going,” Gabriel replied and made a gesture so Castiel could follow him to the backyard.

They both walked side by side and once the door was opened the smell invaded Castiel completely. There they were, all his relatives by the barbecue, with several vegetables, pieces of red meat and sausages grilling deliciously on it.

They waved at Castiel, and Castiel nodded acknowledging them back.

Balthazar spoke for the first time when Castiel stood by the heat of the barbecue grill. “Thing is I’ve read today one of the most traditional foods in Argentina is the _asado_. It turns out it’s quite similar to our barbecue, so I told the guys and we thought it would be cool if we indulged you a little bit before you got your decision.”  

“Or do you mean putting a little more pressure on my shoulders so I could finally say _yes_...?” Castiel asked, trying to make it sound more funny than it actually sounded. Everybody shut up, and looked at Castiel in shock. “It was a joke,” he clarified, and Balthazar arched one of his eyebrows in response.

“It didn’t sound like one,” he said.

Castiel rolled his eyes.

“Well, it _was_ a joke, even if you don’t believe me,” Castiel insisted. “Anyway, I’m really flattered by all this organization you’ve made, but I feel in the obligation of telling you that with or without this sumptuous barbecue, my decision has already been taken.”

Hannah and Kali, who were eating fried potatoes stopped in the middle of a mouthful, expectant. Even Jimmy stopped controlling the eggplants at the grill in order to look at Castiel, who coughed in nervousness and changed completely the topic, disappointing his friends.

Castiel kept the suspense for the rest of the lunch, in fact, delaying the resolution in order to enjoy what was surely going to be one of the last meals they all shared together in months. Nobody mentioned the elephant in the room either, after Castiel told them he preferred communicating the decision once the lunch was over, and that made Castiel feel supported and even more loved than the day before.

Castiel was sure the farewell was going to be really sad.

“After you went to sleep I had a hard time trying to close my eyes,” Castiel started when they were all sit at the living room, everybody paying exclusive attention to him. “Last night events made me anxious, and I honestly consider the solution you’ve found for me more adventurous than anything I’ve ever done in my life. Because of that, I spent some hours thinking about my situation, and particularly about the journey you’ve suggested. I was sure I wouldn’t do it, that I couldn’t take such a risk… then in the middle of those pessimist thoughts I finally got asleep.” Castiel made a paused, and gasped. “At first I dreamed about the wedding, you know?” He continued, making the others groan. “I was there, at the church, with Daphne at my right, and mother at the left. It was stressful. I never felt as mortified as I was feeling in that place. I found it difficulty to breath… I had a hard time trying not to pass out... then I woke up minutes later, all sweat and scared. Clearly I couldn’t stay at that place, not even when dreaming...” Jimmy intended to interrupt, but Castiel stopped him with a gesture of his hand. “I don’t know if what I will do is the correct thing… but after last night I know for sure this is not the life I want to live. I don’t want to get married to anyone by force, no matter if my mother wants it or not. I’m thirty four years old, for heaven’s sake!” he added, a little louder. “I can’t be scared about something like that, I’m an adult! My mother or however she reacts at something I do shouldn’t affect me negatively… nothing or anyone should make me feel that way.”

“I agree,” Jimmy said, with a serious tone, because he couldn’t help himself.

Castiel smiled. “I know you do, this is why the first thing that came to my mind after waking up from that horrible nightmare was the phrase you said to me last night,” he replied, and Jimmy looked at him clueless. “ _What would I lose if I tried?_ ” he clarified and Jimmy smirked in realization. “I suppose, if I’m literal, I will lose all the money I’ve been saving these years, and I will lose yours as well… but on the other hand, I can’t breathe while my mother humiliates me. It’s not my intention to feel like that from now on, if I can avoid it...”

“Are you meaning what I think you’re meaning?” Balthazar asked, enthusiastically, with a big smile in his face.

“I don’t know what you think I will say…” Castiel teased and Balthazar replied with an even louder laugh. “What I know is that when I got slept that second time, I dreamed about planes and places I didn’t know. I don’t remember the details of every situation I was faced to, but I know it wasn’t easy for me. I was not used to dealing with unknown people, and most of the time I didn’t understand a single word they were saying… Nevertheless, in every situation, Jimmy’s phrase came to my mind and I found the confidence I needed to solve my quandaries, no matter how strenuous they were…” he paused to look at his relatives, all surrounding him in the same big table they were playing with raffle boxes and maps the night before. “I dreamed peacefully for the rest of the night. If you ask me, I don’t tend to believe in anything supernatural, but I still suppose this has to mean something… don’t you think?”

“Of course!” Kali replied, with confidence. Unlike Castiel, she was extremely interested in the studies of the occult. “In fact, I’ve read that dreaming about a journey means that you are going to face something new in your life, that you will surpass different kind of challenges and rewards. They are always positive dreams, so I suppose you should take yours into account,” she explained, with a smile.

Castiel took his time to reply, drinking his soda by little sips. When he couldn’t delay the answer anymore, he left the glass aside and looked at his friends with the most serious face he could play. “Even when I’m not versed in that kind of knowledge, I identify you as someone smart and well-informed, Kali. Said that, I think it’s time for me to start paying more attention to oneirology, or at least, to the pieces of advice you give to me.”

Jimmy opened his eyes and stood up suddenly from his chair. “Are you really—?”

“Yes, _I’m really_.” Castiel replied, smiling. “I will try your idea. I will go to Argentina,” he added, and the verdict was received with cheers and a roar of applause that Castiel found moving. “At least for a couple of months so I can try it. Then we will see…”

Balthazar stood up and took Castiel in a big hug, surprising him. “You will do great, I’m sure you will…” he said to Castiel as they embraced.

“I hope,” he replied, as honest as a mirror. Castiel really wanted to turn the page of his life. As the hugs were replicated again and again by everybody else, Castiel knew, even if wishful thinking, it could be possible.

The rest of the afternoon passed in the blink of an eye. Castiel discovered than looking for a plane ticket on the Internet and planning the tidbits of a long journey while being with friends was not as stressful as he thought, neither as boring.

They all only faced two different struggles while planning the escape.

The first one was the almighty dollar, and gave them all a big and long discussion in regards of how to spend it. The main issue was that while Gabriel and Balthazar insisted in buying a ticket in first class, Castiel claimed he was more than fine with just an economy seat.

“Oh, c’mon Cassie, it’s the first time you will take a plane, don’t be so humble,” Gabriel said, looking at the prices at different airlines and even playing jokes with his brother about the food service. “Look at this, an exclusive bar! Whatever you want to drink! It will not only be your first fly not also your first major hangover! I’m so emotional I could cry!”

Castiel took the mouse away from Gabriel, rolling his eyes while the rest laughed, and kept on looking at different prizes. “Sorry to disappoint you, people, but I won’t fly on a plane for the sole reason to go on a bender.”

“You will go later then, when your feet can touch the ground,” Jimmy added, teasing.

“I will consider it,” Castiel replied, in the same fashion. “Although, I will wait until I’m not alone. Imbibing copious quantities of alcohol while being on my own in an unknown city can be really dangerous. I need to take care of my well being...”

“Look at Cassie,” Amelia pointed out, elbowing him playfully in the arm. “Making jokes and considering the option of meeting new friends. I’m proud of you,” she added.

“Hey, I may be socially awkward but I’m not an oyster, either,” Castiel replied, joking. “At some point I suppose someone will be stupid enough to pay attention to me…”

“Not stupid, smart and good hearted. A righteous person!” Hannah pointed out.

Castiel shrugged his shoulders, assuming he was not worth such a company. “ _A righteous person_ ,” he repeated more to himself than to be heard by anyone else, and kept on looking a suitable option on the Internet.

The main focus of the group after that exchange was talking about things Castiel should do and activities he should try to gain friends quickly. It leaded to multiple anecdotes and laughs, and soon the subject of money was left aside. They ended up booking a business class seat cheaper than in other airlines because it had two stops along the way.

“But you will be like… twenty hours travelling!” Balthazar exclaimed, sounding shocked.

“And I’m not against that,” Castiel replied. “It’s not like I’m in a hurry to arrive… I’m just in a hurry to _leave_ ,” he added, pointing out to the laptop’s screen. “Besides, you want me to meet new places. I think both Cancún and Bogota are good options.”

“And it says here you can check up to twenty five kilos,” Gabriel added, interested.

“I have no much, I will practically carry all with me in a suitcase,” Castiel recognized before clicking to buy the seat. When the payment was accepted the room erupted in claps and Castiel had no other option than laughing. They all really wanted for him to start over. Castiel found it funnily endearing.

Sadly, said mellowness stopped suddenly hours later when the second struggle came to view.

“Castiel, until you deigned to answer me,” Naomi said at the other side of the line. It was dinner time already, and Castiel was at Jimmy’s house, all his clothes scattered over the bed, along with a suitcase Amelia had bought exclusively for him. It was open and empty, Castiel analysing in minute detail what he needed to pack and what he could leave behind.

Answering the phone without looking at the caller id was a negligent reaction of him. In fact, Castiel thought it was either Balthazar or Gabriel, with a last minute occurrence they wanted to share with him before he left. The last person that crossed his mind was Naomi, that’s why he shuddered in panic when he heard her voice. His heart started beating at high speeds, losing as well the ability to talk. It was only after her third attempt of starting a conversation that Castiel recovered his consciousness and replied with a cold salutation.

“Where were you? I’ve tried to contact you since yesterday,” was Naomi’s reply and Castiel gulped.

“I’d turned the cellphone off,” Castiel said. It was not a lie. Since he arrived at Gabriel’s house the day before, he felt it was not imperative for him to leave it on. In any case, all his important people were gathered at the same place. He didn’t need anything else.

“You haven’t answered my question,” Naomi said, every word as sharp as a tack.

“You know where I am, I don’t need to remind you,” Castiel replied, trying to remain as calm as possible. He wanted to avoid any kind of argument with her, if possible. “I’m staying at Jimmy’s place until I can find an apartment for myself.”

Naomi gasped at the mention of Jimmy. Since he married Amelia the relationship between them remained distant. Claire only saw her once or twice a year, if Naomi considered her granddaughter was worth enough to pay a visit.

“You won’t need an apartment,” Naomi said. “You will get married soon, as you already know. You will live with Daphne, in the house her parents have bought for you.” Castiel tried to interrupt her, in order to repeat he wouldn’t do any of those things, but Naomi didn’t give him the chance. “Why had you turned off the cellphone, anyway? Is one of your brother’s occurrences so you don’t talk to me?”

“Jimmy has nothing to do with the decisions I take, so leave him alone,” Castiel said. He consider it was an ironic reply, taking into account what he was about to do. “I was watching cartoons with Claire.”

“ _Cartoons_?” Naomi replied. Castiel cringed at the mocking tone of her voice. “You’re an adult, Castiel. Cartoons are for kids.” She sighed. ”I pray everyday for the marriage to finally turn you into a mature man. Sweet Daphne, she will do it.”

That was the point where Castiel couldn’t help it any longer. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “There won’t be any wedding,” he muttered. Even when she was not in front of him, Castiel could imagine the horrified expression in her face when he said that.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, raising up the tone.

“I’m talking about something we had already talked about more than once, mother,” Castiel replied, louder as well. “I don’t want to get married with Daphne, or with anyone you oblige me to. Is that so difficult to understand?”

“Who are you going to marry, then? A man?!” she asked back, sounding vehement.

“That’s my business and only mine! I will marry whoever the fuck I want to!” Castiel said, practically screaming.

“You’re rude, and a sinner!!” Naomi insisted.

“I don’t care about your bloody sins! Leave me alone for once!” he said, interrupting the monologue she was surely going to start against lasciviousness and free will. It wouldn’t have been the first time Castiel had heard it.  

“Don’t talk to me like that, I’ve not raised you as an unruly child,” she replied, her virulent intentions really difficult to conceal. “You are going to get married next week, no matter what you think, and tomorrow you are going to attend the engagement dinner we will do at our house, at seven. Make yourself presentable, you will meet your future wife for the last time before the ceremony. She’s too good for you to come here with your tie knot wrongly done and a cheap suit. I don’t want you here with the old trenchcoat you always use, either. Buy yourself something better.”

Naomi stopped the conversation before Castiel could say anything else, increasing his frustration. He looked at the cellphone and threw it against the wall, breaking it completely. The noise made Jimmy appear at the door, with a worried expression. He looked at the phone pieces, all spreaded at the floor, and went to stand beside his brother. Castiel was staring at the suitcase, his grimace lost. Jimmy put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, what made him stop the trance and turn his head. They stared at each other for a while.

“If I wasn’t sure before, now I am…” Castiel said, and made a pause. “I need to go,” he added and Jimmy nodded. “She’s…” Castiel tried, but when he couldn’t find the right phrase he stopped and shook his head. “I don’t understand why she is doing this to us.”

Jimmy considered his answer. “She’s trying to beat her frustrations up,” he said.

“With us…”

“We are the closest targets she has, but not anymore… aren’t we?” Jimmy asked, with a smile. He started folding some shirts and denims, putting them on the suitcase. The question was left unanswered, but when Castiel folded a couple of jackets on his own Jimmy looked pleased.

“Tomorrow when mother realizes I won’t be there at dinner time…” Castiel said, after some minutes of working in compassionate silence. “She’s going to take it really bad… she will come here to bother you. Mother will demand an explanation out of you.”

Jimmy made a gesture with his hand, diminishing its importance. “Tomorrow is Sunday, after driving you to the airport we will go somewhere else,” he said, and Castiel looked at him clueless. “I was thinking about _Navy Pier_ … I was told it’s magnificent. We can walk along, enjoying the skyline and taking a boat, visit the museum... Claire will certainly love it.”

“And the day after tomorrow?” Castiel asked, troubleness in his tone. “You know she won’t stop at that. She will come here every single day until she’s satisfied with your answer.”

“I will tell her the truth,” Jimmy said and Castiel paled at it. “I went out with Amelia and Claire. When we came back here you weren’t in your room and your stuff had disappeared. We tried to contact you but it wasn’t possible… the cellphone was destroyed at the floor. I will show her the screen glass, all cracked. I will try crying a little bit…. We’re so worried we can barely sleep…” he completed, acting the last couple of sentences in such a way that made Castiel laugh.

“That’s your alibi?” he asked, smirking.

Jimmy nodded. “It certainly is. If she doesn’t believe me… I couldn’t care less.”

Castiel shook his head with a smirk and kept on placing his clothes in the suitcase. “I will have to buy a new cellphone, though,” he said at some point, minutes later.

Jimmy considered his answer for a while. “I don’t think that’s necessary. I have an old iphone somewhere… let me look for it. I’m sure I’ve left it…” he thought, “in my bedroom probably…” he added, walking to the door and disappearing behind it. Castiel sighed and kept on working.

Soon the suitcase was prepared, and Castiel started filling the backpack with his laptop, and other smaller personal effects. He looked at his books, all discarded and disorganized. It was a sad decision, and he hadn’t a lot of material possessions apart from them, but it was clear he couldn’t carry them all with him.

If he came back some day… perhaps…

He walked to the books and took one, without looking at the spine. It was _The Hobbit_. He smirked after reading the title, Tolkien was one of his favourite authors. Castiel didn’t believe in destiny, but it looked like a signal. He had to choose that particular book. The action made him feel a little more secure and supported.

Castiel checked at his clock, it was almost midnight. He needed to wake up early the next day, so he put himself in bed. He didn’t even bother to change into a pair of more comfortable pants, after all, the entirely of his clothes were already stored in the suitcase. He had no time to be punctilious.

Castiel fell asleep soon, and once again he had dreams about long and stressful journeys. This time, though, they were more satisfying (probably thanks to Kali’s influence) and when Castiel woke up at morning the next day, he did it with a smile on his face.

This new experience was surely going to be weird, and probably awkward at the beginning, but Castiel was sure he would do it right.

He stretched out and looked at the bedside table. There was a phone chip along with an iphone resting on it.

 _‘I suggest you not to throw this one at the wall,’_ a little note said, and Castiel couldn’t help laughing. His brother was a real joker.

Half an hour later, after Castiel set the phone up and changed himself to clean clothes he had already prepared the day before, a knock at the door surprised him.

It was Amelia, dressed to the nines, completely prepared to go. “Good morning, Castiel. It’s time,” she said, and walked to him, hugging him lovingly. Castiel hugged her back, because… how couldn’t he? “Do you have it all prepared?” she asked and Castiel nodded. “Your documents, your passport, everything?” Castiel nodded again. “Had you have a bath, hadn’t you?”

“Yes, mom,” Castiel insisted and Amelia laughed. He was not joking, though. It was disheartening, but Castiel received more mother treatments from his sister-in-law than from Naomi herself. Amelia was attentive and unselfish, and Castiel couldn’t think about anyone better for his brother Jimmy. He had been really lucky.

“Do you have it all packed, do you need anything else?” she insisted when they were walking to the car, where both Claire and Jimmy were waiting for them. Castiel denied with the head. Everything was in the suitcase, all his most expensive possessions well saved in the backpack. Gabriel had taken care of the hostel, and Balthazar was going to wait for them at the airport, with the plane ticket already picked up. Castiel only needed to go.

When they were outside, he turned around and looked at his brother’s house. It was the last time he would visit it for a while, so he looked at it with nostalgia and held back the tears when he got into the car.

“It’s not like you’re banned to come back, you can do it,” Jimmy said when he looked at the rear mirror and discovered his brother’s expression.

“I know… but still…” Castiel said and let the rest of the sentence implicit.

Nobody else mentioned the topic again, Castiel preferring to share conversation with his niece, whose enthusiasm for travelling and visiting an amusement park could easily be seen.

The rest of the journey remained uneventful. Castiel spent the whole time looking at the landscapes on Interstate 55, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. Claire made him play card games, and he took part at some points on Jimmy and Amelia’s short attempts of conversation, but most of the time he preferred staying quiet.

After almost two hours of incessant driving, the O’Hare airport appeared before their eyes. Claire couldn’t help wowing more than once, and Castiel understood perfectly why. The place was a monster, impressive and stunning. Jimmy parked the car and they all walked together, looking at every detail that appeared in front of their eyes. It was the first time they went to an airport, so they looked like a bunch of kids in Disneyland.

When they finally arrived at the terminal, Castiel found with surprise everybody was there, waiting for them. Initially Castiel thought only Balthazar would make an appearance, since he had to make the ticket print, but he was accompanied by his wife, as well as Gabriel and Kali. It made Castiel’s heart blossom with gratefulness, and even when he was not used to love demonstrations, he walked and hugged them all, one by one.

“Here it is… your golden ticket, Charlie Bucket,” Balthazar said when they broke their embrace, and Castiel looked at him totally bewildered. In response, Balthazar rolled his eyes. “Please, cousin, make me a favour. Once you’re settled in Buenos Aires promise me you will buy a Netflix account…”

Everybody laughed at the joke, even Castiel, who pledged he would.

“I’ve found you the best hostel ever,” Gabriel said, excited. “Here’s the information. Five stars, my friend. It has a spa and everything…”

“Don’t you think that’s a little bit expensive?” Castiel wondered, looking at the printed brochure with increasing suspicions. Gabriel made a nonchalant gesture at it.

“Who cares about money?” he said, and when Castiel opened his mouth to answer, Gabriel interrupted. “Anyway, it’s not paid or anything. They rejected my credit card.” This caused a general laugh and Gabriel shown them the finger. “It was in red, yeah… so I’ve said to the receptionist my cousin would be heading there in two days. She said they would put you in a wait list of sorts… all you have to do is going and telling her your name.”

“And paying,” Castiel added, amused, and Gabriel answered with a blush. It was weird watching him like that, so when he tried to apologize for not paying in advance, Castiel stopped him. “Thank you Gabe, for all the things you’ve done for me,” he said. Gabriel replied it was nothing, since they were family. Castiel gave him a second hug in response, Gabriel accepting it without the shadow of a doubt.

Saying goodbye to Jimmy and his family was a little harder. Claire started crying at some point, after Castiel assured her he would come back soon to watch _The Hunger Games_ with her again. Watching her react like that broke Castiel’s heart. If he was already bitter with Naomi before, he couldn’t explain how much anger he felt at that moment. Claire was a piece of sunshine, she didn’t deserve crying for anything in the world.

“I love you, uncle Castiel,” she said in between tears, and Castiel couldn’t reply with anything except tears of his own.

“I’m so sorry,” he said to her, when Claire stopped crying. While drying the tears, she answered she understood why he was doing that, that she was old enough to get it was the only way. Castiel looked at Jimmy, confused. His brother simple shrugged his shoulders.

“I won’t lie to my daughter,” he said. “Her grandmother is dreadful, she needs to know.”

“Jimmy—”

“Promise me we'll talk often,” he interrupted, in a clear demonstration that Naomi’s topic was over.

“As often as I can. Everyday, if possible,” Castiel replied and was surprised by a girl’s voice at the loudspeakers, asking for passengers of flight 2058 to gather at gate 4. It was Castiel’s flight, so he stood up, separating his hand from Claire’s, his heart beating uncontrollably against his chest.

At the second call Castiel couldn’t delay the departure any longer.

“Stop pouting. Go and have fun,” Balthazar said and Castiel turned around, placing himself in one of the steps of the escalator. The suitcase was so big he had to put it in another one. Some seconds later, he couldn’t help it and turned to look at his family again.

“I will miss you all,” he said, trying not to cry again.

“We won’t!” Gabriel screamed cheekily, and stole one last smile from Castiel, before disappearing completely from his view, at the other side of the escalator.

Castiel went to the whole process before boarding the plane thinking about his life, and where the hell he got himself into. Checking the luggage and facing the TSA agents was quick and certainly easier than he originally thought, as well as finding his gate. Waiting for the boarding announcement was a little more complicated, however. Castiel felt anxious and he couldn’t find a position in which he felt comfortable, no matter if he was sit on a chair, or stood up in an isolated corner, where nobody could bother him. His mind was spinning around, no matter how many times he tried to convince himself that everything was going to be fine.

Castiel didn’t know how much time passed up to the moment he was asked to board. When he finally did and looked at his seat, Castiel opened his mouth in surprise. It was an isolated seat, beside a window, with a table in front. But that wasn’t what amazed Castiel the most. The seat was not a traditional one, since it looked like an armchair, beige and comfortable. Castiel sat and placed the backpack at his side. The feeling of coziness was indescriptible, he didn’t remember sitting in such a luxurious seat ever before. Castiel thanked Gabriel under his breath. There were barely twenty people at the section, apart from him, all very focused in their own business, which increased the calmness he started feeling. It was crazy from him, but even with the seatbelt Castiel felt snugged and it wasn’t long after the plane launched that he felt in a steady sleep.

Castiel woke up three hours later, warned by one of the flight attendants. The plane was about to land for his first stop. It was hot in Cancún, so Castiel had to take his sweater off and placed it in the backpack. He found a bar at the terminal, and spent two hours there, just observing people and drinking _aguas frescas_ as well as a couple shots of _tequila_ he couldn’t avoid drinking. The bartender insisted on the fact he couldn’t leave their country without trying it at least once.

The drink made Castiel feel a little dizzy, but when he boarded the second plane (this time with a white reclining seat waiting for him) Castiel checked at his watch and discovered it was almost seven o’clock in Illinois. He laughed uncontrollably, making some of his fellow travellers turn in curiosity. His mother’s house was about to become a war zone and he wouldn’t be around to suffer the consequences. Castiel couldn’t feel any gladder. It was over. Naomi couldn’t bother him any longer. As a celebration, he couldn’t help it and asked for some new tequila shots to the flight attendant, who politely complied. This time he fell asleep as soon as the plane took off.

Castiel got a little bored in _El Dorado_ , his second stop. It was not the airport’s fault, however, but a matter of time zones. The plane landed after midnight and there was practically no movement at the terminal. He walked for a while, carrying the suitcase and the backpack and observing the facilities until he found a coffee shop that was still opened. He had no problem communicating with people in english, being served a traditional colombian coffee and a couple of waffles with syrup, which were more than fantastic. The entertainment didn’t last long, though, and soon he found himself drifting around for the second time.

When Castiel didn’t know what else to do he turned the cellphone on, waiting for the worst. Surprisingly there weren’t neither messages nor missed calls from Naomi, and Castiel released the breath he didn’t know he was holding. Jimmy had sent him a couple messages, though, as Castiel imagined he would.

 _‘Hope you’re not wreaking havoc already. Wait a couple of days until you do that,’_ one of  the messages said, and Castiel couldn’t help laughing at it.

 _‘You know I wouldn’t. Hope you’re not having a hard time with our mother either,’_ Castiel typed back and sent. _‘I will call you when I’m already on my destination. Take care,’_ he wrote as a second message. After confirming both of them were sent he turned the cellphone off again and put it at the pocket of his shirt. He didn’t want to take the risk of being called by his mother in the middle of the journey. Against all odds, he was having a great time, and didn’t want it to be disrupted by anyone or anything.

The last part of the trip was a little more messy for Castiel. It turned out that colombian black coffee and mexican tequila was not a good combination for his stomach when imbibed in a short period of time (neither for his head), so he passed most of the time at the plane tossing and turning around in the seat. For his misfortune, it was difficult for him to find a comfortable position and stay quiet, therefore he couldn’t fall asleep until after the third hour of flight. When he woke up, according to what the map was saying, they were already in Argentinian territory, yet the flight wouldn’t be over until an hour more.

Castiel still felt a little groggy, but his head didn’t hurt as much as it did before he fell asleep, so it was a progress. He asked for a bottle of water and spent the remaining time watching the landscapes. It was amazing, seeing the clouds approach, banishing in front of his eyes, the sun rising in the background, like in a dream. Castiel wasn’t sure what time zone he was in at that moment, but he supposed morning was just starting. A new signal, he thought. A clear metaphor of his new life…?

First thing Castiel noticed when he set foot in Argentina was that people were… _extremely_ noisy. It was weird for him, coming from a little town where nothing happened and people only talked in public if it was necessary… The impact both images made in his head was strong.

Not only children were running and screaming here and there, but also adults. Some were stressed, probably in a rush to get in time to the office, or a business meeting, but others were simply cheerful, yelling in happiness while hugging their families, or chatting in a loud voice with their companions. It was weird to see, and definitely something new for Castiel.

_‘This experience is going to be intense…’_ Castiel thought, even when he had no idea what any of them were talking about, or if the sudden revelation was supposed to be good or not.

He went to the baggage carousel and waited some minutes in order to recover his suitcase. When he finally had it, Castiel sighed deeply, as if the biggest step of his adventure had already being surpassed. In part it was true, but still Castiel felt nervous for the rest of the things that were going to come his way.

He looked at the big clock at the hall. It said it was half past ten. Castiel looked at his own clock, then. Only two hours of difference. It would be easier to remember than he initially suspected. He sat in one of the thousands chairs at the main hall and doubtlessly updated his clock’s hands. After all… if he was going to live in Buenos Aires for a while, he had to get used to its time zone.

 _‘Which is going to be mine too,’_ he thought.

With a great exhalation Castiel got up again, thinking about his next step.

 _‘Getting a taxi,’_ he thought, more to himself than to anyone else. However, it looked like he said it outloud, since a second later, an old lady appeared beside him, looking extremely curious.

[“¿Necesitás algo, corazón?”](http://dont-open-this-link-im-just-translating.org) the lady said and Castiel had no idea what to answer to that.

Castiel opened his mouth in order to say something but he closed it again. The process repeated itself for a couple of times until Castiel thought he was surely looking like an idiot in front of a stranger.

“I don’t speak your language,” he said. Castiel blushed a little when he realized the phrase sounded like something an alien would say instead of a tourist, so he coughed and continued. “What I’m trying to say is that… I’m looking for a mean of transportation.”

The old lady looked at Castiel as if he had grown a second head. She remained quiet for a couple of seconds, until something in her eyes changed, as a grasp. She turned around and started talking in a really loud volume.

[“Este pobre chico parece perdido pero habla otro idioma. Alemán, polaco... no tengo la menor idea. ¿Alguien lo puede ayudar?”](http://dont-open-this-link-im-just-translating.org) she said and suddenly the look of more than a hundred people, including several airport workers, were put on the both of them.

Castiel gulped, and tried to tell the old lady that whatever she was saying was not necessary, that he would disappear from her sight in a blink, but before he could do it a bunch of people got closer and started saying things to him in  such a rush Castiel could barely distinguish a couple of voices in between them all. When a particular one said _‘Guten Morgen’_ , Castiel understood what the whole jumble was about and spoke again.

“I’m not German, I speak English,” he said and practically all the people around him started laughing in understanding. For anyone it could have looked like they were having fun at Castiel’s expense, but Castiel didn’t feel it like that. It was as if they were all sharing a joke, and Castiel was part of the team. It felt weird but solacing.

[“Yo hablo inglés, no hay problema. Me encargo,”](http://dont-open-this-link-im-just-translating.org) one of the guys said, getting close to Castiel and offering him his hand. “Benjamín, it’s a real pleasure,” he said, looking at Castiel, who took his hand and shook it with a nod.

The audience left one by one. Some of them said _goodbye_ to Castiel, which completely took him by surprise. “Is all people here so…?” he started.

“Welcoming, you mean?” Benjamin replied, and Castiel nodded. “Mmm…” he considered. “You could say that, yeah. I prefer thinking we’re _impertinent_ , though.” Castiel made a face at that answer, which made Benjamin cackle. “We get involved in everything, we have an opinion about everything, we’re experts in every subject… that makes us charming and irritating. You wait and see,” he concluded, Castiel too shocked to say something else. “How can I help you?” Benjamin asked then, and Castiel woke up suddenly from his confusion.

“I’m…” he doubted. “I’m in need of a mean of transportation, no matter if it’s a bus or a taxi. Whichever is less expensive,” he finally said, sounding the most confident he could.

Benjamin smirked, looking pleased. “Well… I think this is your lucky day, brother. I’m a taxi driver myself,” he said and shown Castiel a little nameplate on his white shirt. Castiel looked at it. Effectively it said he was one, the name of the company noticeably under it.

Castiel looked at him, a little unsure. “And you could approach me anywhere?”

Benjamin laughed. “You talk like an old aunt,” he said and laughed, not sounding offensive, though. Castiel started understanding the whole concept of _impertinence_. “Of course I can, it’s my job, brother. And since I’ve already drank my morning coffee I’m ready to drive you now. That’s, of course, if you want it.”

“Are your services expensive?” Castiel insisted.

“Two minutes here and you already talk like one of us,” Benjamin joked. “You will have to understand something: _everybody_ considers _everything_ expensive in this country. However, my car is cheaper and quicker than a bus.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Your call, buddy.”

Castiel thought for a little while, and looked at his clock. It was passed from midday, he was extremely tired and dirty. He sighed deeply, beaten.

“Alright, let's go,” he said and Benjamin smiled, thumbing up.

“Just let me make a call to the supervisor,” he said and took his radio, pushing the button. “You won’t get disappointed,” he added, before the receptor started the conversation. It was entirely in Spanish and Castiel felt a little awkward looking at Benjamin when he didn’t know for sure if he was laughing or talking about him. For that reason Castiel sat on the chair again, and preferred looking at any spot except from Benjamin’s.

Once the call was over Benjamin took the suitcase without asking first and told Castiel to follow his lead. They walked in silence, passing by hundreds and hundreds of people that were coming and going, concentrated in their own problems. Castiel wondered if some of them were running away as well…

“Here we are, welcome to paradise,” Benjamin said when they were outside, the sunlight caressing Castiel’s skin. The car looked comfortable and clean, painted in an spotless white, with a distinctive blue roof and a big company logo at the bumper. If anything, Castiel felt safe.

The journey wasn’t as boring as Castiel suspected it would be. Benjamin was a good conversational partner, and soon enough Castiel found himself sharing small talks with him. The taxi driver was the one pushing all the different topics of conversation, though, and Castiel reckoned his favourite subject was talking about his wife Andrea.

“We have no children of our own, yet, we’re newlyweds. Andrea is a little unsure, she thinks she won’t be able to make it, being a flight attendant and everything, but I insist she’s going to be an excellent mother.” He stopped and looked at Castiel by the rear mirror. “Do I bore you with my monologues?” he asked.

Castiel shook his head. “Not at all, it’s just I have not a lot to share about that particular topic of conversation,” he said, feeling a little ashamed.

“Are you single? Divorced? Widower?” Benjamin asked and Castiel furrowed a brow.

“The first option,” he said with a smile.

“It’s okay, being single rocks too,” he answered, straightforward. “Don’t feel sorry about it.”

“I don’t feel _sorry_ ,” Castiel replied. “It’s just I’m thirty four already and—”

“Don’t finish the sentence,” Benjamin interrupted. “There’s no age for love, brother. Don’t be a pessimist. It will come when it has to come.”

“I suppose,” Castiel replied and stayed quiet while Benjamin spoke about his nephews and other children he knew. Castiel felt tempted and shared a couple (or more) things about Claire, and soon Castiel forgot all about his deep frustrations.

“We’re about to hit _Microcentro_ ,” Benjamin announced, a long later. “Where are you going to stop?” he added and Castiel remained thoughtful.

“I have no idea,” Castiel replied, after long seconds of cavitation. He started looking for the piece of paper Gabriel gave him, but no matter how many times he revised every pocket the backpack had, no papers appeared. “I’m sure I left it somewhere in here, it can’t disappear…” he said, frustrated.

“Don’t you remember the name, or the town it was placed?” Benjamin asked, sounding concerned.

Castiel denied it. “My cousin chose it especially because he said it had a spa and I don’t remember what else…” he said, Benjamin paying attention to the traffic. “He didn’t pay it, anyway… if I can’t find the piece of paper I will have to look for another hostel.”

“I would love helping you find a good place to stay but I don’t want to make your invoice bulky,” Benjamin said. Castiel recognized he was being sincere.

“Don’t worry! Of course I understand and I thank you for that… it’s just… I’m an idiot, there’s no way I could have lost it.... But I did.”

“Don’t overstress yourself that much,” Benjamin said, stopping the car in another red light. [“Ola verde, las bolas,”](http://dont-open-this-link-im-just-translating.org) he added in Spanish. Castiel had no idea what he was saying but he inferred Benjamin was not happy with stopping the motion.  “Did you say it was a hostel?” he asked, frustration still presented in his voice.

Castiel nodded. “I don’t remember, but I think so?” he replied, showing signs of frustration of his own.

“Well, if that’s the case I could leave you at Plaza Lavalle,” Benny resolved. “As far as I know all the hostels are in the suburbs, so you won’t have problem finding your hostel, or another one.”

Castiel considered his options for a moment. He was kind of fenced. The hostel information Gabriel had gathered disappeared and he couldn’t live in Benjamin’s taxi.

“It’s okay to me,” Castiel replied before he could think about it any deeper.

Benjamin thumbed up (it looked like a common response of him) and started driving again. “Since you’re stopping there, you can see the Palace of Justice,” he said. “It’s an extraordinary building, I’ve learned tourists like you love it.”

“I will take you up on it,” Castiel said and kept on looking through the glass. The city was as noisy as the airport, it was probably an argentine characteristic after all. The fact scared Castiel a little. It was so different to his own personality… he hoped he could fit.

Benjamin’s car stopped for the last time some minutes later. “Here we are,” he said, opening the car’s lock. Castiel paid the bill, took his backpack and opened his own door, getting out of the car. Benjamin helped him, taking the suitcase out of the trunk.

“This is a big square,” Castiel said once Benjamin was sit on his car again. The taxi driver laughed, probably surprised by Castiel’s comment.

“It covers three blocks, so you can imagine…” he said, starting the engine. “Good luck, brother,” he added, when it was clear they couldn’t delay the departure any longer. “Hope you can get settled soon somewhere. If you’re in a jam or something don’t doubt contacting me through the agency. Both me and Andrea will help you if we can,” he said and offered Castiel a card, that he accepted.

Some seconds later, after a polite wave goodbye, Castiel was left alone.

He looked around and felt like a lilliputian. The square was more than gigantic, surrounded by several buildings, one bigger than the previous one. It was difficult for Castiel to identify which one was the infamous Palace of Justice Benjamin had mentioned. When he finally did, he opened his mouth in shock. It was majestic, completely symmetric in its shapes, heavy in its details.

He looked at it for a while, completely captivated, until his cellphone rang on his shirt. Castiel looked everywhere for a bench, sitting in the first one he found.

“Brother,” Jimmy said at the other side of the line, sounding more serious than the day before. That made Castiel’s blood freeze.

“Did something happen, Jimmy?” he asked, worried. In front of him, the argentinian flag fluttering ardently on top of the Palace of Justice. Castiel looked at it and closed his eyes. _‘I’m not there, I’m in another country…’_ he thought, before hearing his brother.

“I’m mumbling Cassie, I’m talking at the bathroom,” he replied. Jimmy didn’t need to say why, Castiel could totally understand it. “She’s here, screaming in the living room,” he clarified, though it was not necessary.

“What is she saying—” Castiel tried to say, but Jimmy interrupted him.

“I don’t care, and certainly you shouldn’t either,” he said. “She’s being one hundred percent Naomi, at some point she will shut up…” he sighed. “Whatever… tell me about you! Are you in the _gauchos’_ land yet?” he asked, this time sounding excited.

“Yes, I am,” Castiel replied, because he considered it was futile trying to persuade his brother into talking about his mother’s topic.

“Cool,” was Jimmy’s answer, probably quieter than the answer he would have given in another circumstance. “What do you think? Are you liking it?”

The questions made Castiel laugh. “I still can’t say, I’ve just arrived here a couple of hours ago,” he replied and Jimmy groaned. “If I can satisfy your curiosity somehow, however, I can say I’m kind of overwhelmed with the amount of people I see here. I can’t count the cars, it’s a maelstrom I didn’t imagine I would see.”

“Well… I don’t want to sound like an smartass, but it’s a city, of course you would see that,” Jimmy replied. Castiel rolled his eyes at him, but chuckled anyway. “Are you having a good time, then?” he asked.

“It’s not as bad as I initially thought,” Castiel joked, making Jimmy laugh. “Aren’t you laughing loud for someone that is hiding in a bathroom?” he asked. Jimmy gasped but he couldn’t say anything else because a big blow surprised them both. “What was that noise?” Castiel asked, but what he heard after the question was enough to understand.

“James, get out of the bathroom immediately!” Naomi yelled. Jimmy laughed, making her yell for a second time, a little louder.

“I’m an adult and you’re invading my house. Leave me alone. Won’t you even let me take a dump in peace, mother?” he replied, causing an outraged answer from Naomi. Castiel opened his eyes as saucers and covered his mouth with his free hand. The conversation was outlandish. “I have to go Cassie. Call you later,” Jimmy mumbled and hung up. Castiel was sat as an statue, looking at the cellphone as if it had all the answers of the universe.

“Sweet mother of God,” he said and jumped when seconds later the cellphone started ringing again. Castiel looked at the caller id. It was Jimmy. Thinking something was not as good as it should, he pressed accepted and greeted his brother cautiously.

“Where are you?” Naomi’s voice invading his mind with commands and dictations.

“It’s none of your concern,” Castiel replied, feeling rage all over his body.

“Of course it’s my concern, you’ve fooled us all! You’re a lost sheep! I didn’t raise you like that! I oblige you to come here immediately and apologise to sweet Daphne! She’s waiting for you,” Naomi said, imperatively.

Castiel sighed, as loud as he could, in order to be heard by his mother. “I don’t think that will be possible. I’m not available at the moment.”

“What are you—” Naomi yelled, but couldn’t keep on talking because Castiel started making noises at the phone with his hands.

“Oh, God, the interference is terrible in this place, I can barely hear you!” he said. “I need to shut this conversation off, I’m sorry. Goodbye, mother!” he said, and hung up, feeling guilty for lying like that. Castiel didn’t want to have another discussion with Naomi so he muted the cellphone. He remained quiet in the chair after that, the phone still in his hand, trying to recover from what had just happened.

After that (because apparently Castiel couldn’t stay in peace for at least one second), everything turned upside down. Within the blink of an eye, the cellphone disappeared from his hands. He immediately realized something weird had happened even when it was so quick he could have easily lost it. He started looking at all directions looking for the source of the inconvenience. Then, there he saw him… A young boy, running like crazy with the cellphone in his hand.

“Fuck,” Castiel muttered and stood up, attempting to run behind the burglar. When Castiel saw he still had the suitcase and the backpack with him, though, he backtracked. “My cellphone!” Castiel yelled to anyone and everybody at the same time. In an immediate response, practically the whole group of passers-by turned to look at him. A couple ladies screamed in shock, catching even more people’s attention. “That guy stole my cellphone!” Castiel added, in order to prevent another assault. He had no idea if those people understood him, but under such circumstances, preventing was better than curing.

If he was asked about it, Castiel would have no idea when or where the second guy appeared from. All he knew was that a new guy came into sight from behind and took Castiel by the shoulder. He jumped, a little scared, but the guy smiled to him.

“Don’t worry, I will take care or it,” he said in a rush and started running behind the burglar, as if it was so easy, catching someone that was practically one block away from you.

In contrast to the kid, and to the man’s favour, though, he looked about ten years older and with muscles way better build. If Castiel were involved in a different situation he would have thought the guy’s butt looked firm and tight from a distance, but he couldn’t have that kind of stupid thoughts under such a pressure. No… he couldn’t. Of course he couldn’t.

People started cheering loudly, even acclaiming the second guy, because with every passing second he was getting closer and closer to the thief. They were far from Castiel, so he could barely watch the scene, but when the guy finally caught the burglar, he tackled him, causing an eruption of applause that surprised Castiel even more than he already was.

The guy took Castiel’s cellphone away from the burglar’s hands and sat on his back, impeding an attack out of him. Castiel heard him yell something unintelligible, probably in spanish. The guy started raising his hands, still yelling, and minutes later a police officer appeared on the scene. The officer talked with the guy at first, apparently in an improvised way to note declaration out of him, and finally walked the burglar with him, handcuffed and defeated.

Castiel was completely astonished. After dusting-free his jeans, the anonymous hero walked to Castiel’s direction, as if nothing had happened. He had a big smile on his face, seeming completely satisfied with his action, and Castiel couldn’t help noticing the expression looked really good on him. When the guy was finally face to face with Castiel, he handed him the cellphone and actually winked at him, making him blush.

“Thank you,” Castiel said when he recovered the ability to speak.

“It was nothing,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. Castiel disagreed with that.

“It was far from nothing. You could have got hurt,” Castiel insisted.

“It would have been worth, anyway... I just can't stand injustices.”

Castiel was about to retort again when he felt a light, almost shy touch on his back and turned around. It was a little girl, no more than five years old. She was wearing a pink dress, her hair combed in two tiny ponytails.

The girl smiled at Castiel and offered him a candy, that Castiel immediately accepted. It was slim-shaped, its wrapper as pink as her dress.

[“Gracias,”](http://dont-open-this-link-im-just-translating.org) he replied, in an horrible attempt of spanish. The little girl chuckled in answer and handed a candy to the _anonymous hero_ as well, who took it and thumbed her up.

[“Vamos, Ana. Saludá a los señores,”](http://dont-open-this-link-im-just-translating.org) a lady said, probably the kid’s mother, making a gesture with her hands. The kid left, waving at the both of them with an undeniable bliss.

“ _Jungle Sticks_ , that kiddo knows how to rock it,” the hero said seconds later, recognizing the candy. Then he opened the wrapper and devoured it in one bite. “You should try it, it’s awesome,” he added, pointing Castiel’s candy out.

“Y-yeah, thanks…” Castiel paused. “Maybe later,” he added, placing the candy on his shirt’s pocket and sitting on the bench for the second time that afternoon.

The hero looked at Castiel, his curiosity impossible to hide. He sat in the bench beside his, resting his arms on the knees. “You look nervous,” he said to Castiel, with a smile.

“That’s because I _am_ nervous,” Castiel replied, sighing deeply.

“Have you just arrived? That’s why?” the guy insisted, pointing out at the suitcase.

“Yes, partly at least, my nervousness is caused by that,” Castiel answered, and raised his sight to look at the man. At that moment he was free to think it so he didn’t feel bad about his dirty mind. The guy was _more than handsome_ , and it wasn’t just his butt. Dark blonde hair, breathtaking green eyes, surrounded by freckles all over his face, slender but athletic, his denim fitting perfectly in every place it had to. He looked like a model, strictly taken from one of Balthazar’s publications.

Castiel didn’t know he was staring until the anonymous hero coughed and placed his hand behind the neck, scratching his hair nervously. When Castiel was about to apologize, the guy talked again.

“Welcome to Buenos Aires, so,” he said. Castiel stared at him in answer, without saying anything else, because apparently it was impossible for him to behave like a normal human being in front of the guy. “As you’ve seen, it’s a weird city,” he continued. “Someone comes and tries to steal something out of you just because. Then seconds later another person appears and gives you something else, completely for free, solely for the sake of their kindness. It gets a while to get used to it, but when you do… fuck, this place is incomparable!”

Castiel felt a little confused by the guy’s sudden excitement, but still he thanked his greetings. “I hope I can,” he replied. The guy looked at him, puzzled of what he was talking about and Castiel clarified. “I hope I can get used to this place, I mean,” Castiel clarified, perceiving he really wanted to and was not just being polite with the stranger.

They remained in silence for a while, and in that time Castiel observed the guy was experiencing exactly his same problem: the both of them were having a hard time avoiding to stare to each other. The guy looked shy, though, and when Castiel discovered him looking for the first time, he lowered his gaze as soon as possible. His awkward body language made Castiel feel a little self-conscious.

“Do you feel right, then?” the guy asked, when it was impossible to keep the silence between them any longer. Castiel nodded, heatedly and the hero smirked, still looking nervous. “I’m glad to know that. It’s not okay for a newcomer to be treated like that…”

“In order to make my stay here not too worrisome, I won’t keep this situation in mind for long,” Castiel replied and the guy looked at him puzzled. “I’ll only remember about the positive aspects that came out of it: the little girl who handed me candy and the hero that saved my cellphone.”

The guy blushed imperceptibly and Castiel felt something weird moving in his stomach when he saw him react that way. It was a completely rampant sensation, penetrating even… but Castiel couldn’t think a lot about it, since at that precise moment a bunch of young ladies that were passing by surprised them both with their yells. They sneered conspiratorially with one another and when Castiel turned to look at them, they started mumbling and gossiping. None of them stopped their stares until they had to cross the street, no matter how much noticeable their voyeurism was, or how many cars were passing in front of them. They ignored the insults car drivers were giving their way, as well.

“Argentinian people have no shame, as you can see,” the guy said. Castiel turned his gaze to look at him again, and he smiled. “I’ve learned people here love tourists. So, in case you didn’t get it, they were gossiping about us, probably telling one another multiple ways to undress us in their dreams tonight.” Castiel couldn’t help laughing at that remark, and the guy responded him with a smile of his own. It was stupid of Castiel, but he thought the guy’s smile was one of the best smiles he’d ever seen. Livid, intense, and completely genuine. “We may laugh but I’m not joking!” the guy said, sounding cheerful. “They love seeing an englishman or two while walking home. So when they are bored they can fantasize they’d met Prince Harry, or whoever reignites their flame...”

“Well, differences aside, in my case they would have to think about,” he doubted, “Matt Damon, perhaps?” Castiel replied, and the guy laughed. “I don’t say this because I consider myself good looking or successful,” Castiel added and when the guy wanted to retort he interrupted him with a movement of his hand. “I made the comparison strictly because I’m an American.”

The guy looked at him with surprise, and smirked, more to himself than to show Castiel any kind of reaction. “I just thought, by the way you talked," he paused. "It doesn't matter! Then it looks like we have a lot of coincidences, dude. We’re both aliens, as a start. But  _American_ aliens! That’s our second coincidence. Let's bet we are from the same state.”

“I’m from Pontiac, Illinois,” Castiel replied, completely comfortable with sharing his information with an absolute stranger.

The guy made a gesture, pretending to be offended. “No such luck… I’m from Lawrence, Kansas,” he said and offered Castiel his hand to shake, who took it undoubtedly.

Castiel couldn’t describe what he felt when their palms finally met. The rampant sensation is his stomach attacked him again, now combined with a thrilling electricity that was taking over all of him in what looked like a second, affecting every single cell of his body, enchanting all his senses. Castiel had never felt something like that before.

The guy should had sensed something similar as well, since he tensed right off the bat, only relaxing again when they parted.

“What a beast of static cling!” he joked, even when it was questionable that physics had something to do with what had just happened, and they both probably knew it. Castiel smiled in answer, though, because the guy was making a big effort not to turn the situation even more awkward than it already was.

They remained in silence for a while, again, looking side by side how people were passing in front of them. It was far from uncomfortable, though. If anything, Castiel felt less lonely, but he couldn’t stop wondering why the guy was still there with him. Castiel (with his lack of charisma) was certainly not forcing him to, and clearly the burglar was far from pestering them again, so there was technically nothing for the guy to do at the square but losing his time.

“Are you here in Buenos Aires for businesses or for pleasure?” the guy asked suddenly, in such a natural way Castiel found easy to conceive he was still there keeping him company just because he wanted to.

“To be honest, I have no idea.” Castiel replied, mirroring the calmness his companion has shown to him. It was the least he could do. “I’m just here. Perhaps for neither. Perhaps for both.”

The guy furrowed his brows, in evident surprise. “Well, that’s mysterious,” he said, but if he had second thoughts in regards of Castiel’s answer, he didn’t say it. “Being extremely honest, I get the feeling, dude,” he added, though, trying to sound as quiet as he could, almost in a whisper.

Castiel listened to it perfectly, however, awakening his curiosity. He risked answering, because deep down he really wanted to know more about that mysterious person beside him, but his cellphone started vibrating in his hand once again, preventing him from doing it.

“Fuck,” he couldn’t help saying when he looked at the caller id. It was his mother. “Of fucking course it had to be her. I should had just turned this fucking thing off completely. She doesn’t get it, she doesn’t…” he mumbled, pressing the button to complete the task he had left unfinished. Once the screen was black, he saved it in his shirt pocket next to the candy with a growl. At his side, the guy looked at him with undeniable interest.

“Are you OK?” he asked. “You face speaks volumes, buddy, you're pale. Who was it?” the man added then, somehow cheekily. “A serial killer? Someone you’re in debt with? A bride you’ve abandoned at the altar?”

Castiel couldn’t turn his head at the guy any quicker, his skin pale because of what he had heard, his eyes opened in shock. Castiel’s only reaction was standing up in a blink, getting hold of his suitcase very tightly and making the quickest attempt to leave the place, immediately if possible. After all, he didn’t need to share his shitful story with a stranger, no matter how handsome they were or how many welcoming sensations their presence made him feel on his body.

Had that guy just discovered, in such a short period of time, that Castiel was a coward? That he was not even brave enough to face his mother over the phone, when he was miles from her? That he was extremely laughable and pathetic? That he had lived almost thirty five years of his life under her pressure in fear of speaking up?

How was that possible? They met less than half an hour ago! Was his poingnancy that easy to notice?

When Castiel started walking at the opposite direction of the benches, the guy stood up as well and took Castiel by the arm, preventing him from leaving. The _static cling_ attacked them both again, but Castiel released himself quickly in order not to feel it. He didn’t need to get nervous for yet another reason.

“I’m sorry,” the guy said, sounding regretful. “It was just a silly thing to cheer you up, dude. I supposed in between the mug and whoever was just pestering you over the phone, you felt horrible so I… fuck...” he sighed and paused. “I shouldn’t have assumed anything. I’m an asshole that doesn’t know when to shut up. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, I swear, it’s none of my business anyway, who was calling you. I’m a busybody—”

“Hey,” Castiel interrupted, and he couldn’t help the body contact. He took the guy by the hand, affectionately, ignoring as much as he could how warm his skin felt at that action. After all, it was just a completely irrational notion created by their combined nervousness. “It’s okay. Don’t be so hard on yourself. If anything, I’m really stressed out, and I took your phrase wrongly. I think…” Castiel doubted. “No, _I’m positive_ that I made a mountain out of a molehill.”

The guy laughed at the last sentence, and Castiel got serious.

“Sorry, it’s just that phrase is crazily old, dude. I believe my grandfather was the last person I heard saying that,” he explained and Castiel couldn’t help rolling his eyes, smiling a little at the guy’s witticism. “There’s no way I can defend myself, don't you see? My mouth just opens and says shit.” He laughed and made a gesture with his hands. “I’m a natural idiot.”

“Don’t say that. You’re far from an idiot,” Castiel argued. The guy looked at him warily, and Castiel couldn’t blame him. How could he know what the guy was or wasn’t if they had just met? Castiel’s awkardness was striking over. That was _his_ natural talent, if anything. “It’s just…” he tried, changing the subject. “I'm afraid your joke somehow hit close to home…” he said, the frankness astonishing even himself. “I’ve not abandoned anyone, though. I promise.”

“You don’t need to promise anything, dude.” The guy answered, while they walked to the benches. He sounded equally sincere. “If you said you didn’t abandon anyone, I don’t have any reason not to trust you. I repeat you: it was just a joke, and a joke doesn’t need justifications. Are you guilt-ridden about something, I presume,” the guy asked, and Castiel couldn’t help but nod. “Well, don’t feel like you are less than others. We are feel guilty about a thing or two,” the guy added, with a more relaxed expression on his face, as if he really wanted Castiel to feel better.

“Do you blame yourself for something as well?” Castiel asked back, his mouth acting faster than his brain.

“Perhaps,” the guy answered, quickly. “It’s not bad, you know? Feeling that way,” he clarified, looking at Castiel with seriousness. “I don’t think _abandoning_ someone is okay,” he paused, remarking the words with meaning, “but the whole _abandonment_ concept… sometimes it’s more metaphorical than anything else. If what you’re leaving behind is something or someone that causes you grief and torments you, well… you're doing it for your own sake, and that’s not a bad thing at all.”

“Do you think so?” Castiel asked, somehow in shock of what he was hearing.

“Of course,” he replied, sounding doubtless. “We all eventually do it, sooner or later.”

“You are—” Castiel tried, but he guy interrupted him with a new joke.

“An smartass?” he asked mischievously.

Castiel shook his head with a smile. “You’re _wise_ ,” he replied and the guy’s face transformed, as if he didn’t hear compliments as much as he should. Castiel felt a little identified with that. “Or at least, wiser than most people I know…” he added and the guy rolled his eyes, never losing his smile.

They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, looking everywhere and anywhere in particular. Sometimes they caught a glimpse of each other, and kept the stare for a while, until a noise or a shouting distracted them. It was more than weird, and certainly something Castiel had never experienced before with anyone, but he couldn’t say he disliked the sensation. There was something in the guy’s eyes, even in his presence, that Castiel enjoyed on the sly.

It was kind of absurd. They had just met.

At some point, still in silence, the guy looked at the baggage, then at Castiel. He seemed dubious, as if he was debating with himself if he should talk or not. He did it, in the end.

“Do you have a place to stay?” he said and gulped. “Do you need any help?”

Castiel reacted with surprise. Even when he knew the guy should have wondered where he was going to go he didn’t think he was curious enough to ask. The fact he was made Castiel nervous, for multiple reasons.

“One of my cousins talked with the receptionist of a hostel, and he told her I would be going there,” Castiel explained with ease and the guy nodded, looking interested. It was surreal. “He didn’t pay or anything, he just promised I would be there. I don’t want to renege on that, but I have an inconvenient... I lost the paper with the hostel’s information somewhere. The taxi driver that brought me here asked me the same, but I couldn’t answer him either.”

The guy furrowed his brows, scratching his head. “Don’t you remember where its placed at least?” he asked, considering. “Or its name… whatever you have in mind so I can check it up on my cellphone?”

Castiel looked at him as if he had grown a second head. He wanted to ask why he was so attentive, why he did care that much, but preferred leaving those questions behind. Castiel didn’t want to be rude, and inwardly he was enjoying the weird exchange.

Castiel closed his eyes, remembering as much as he could the brochure he had been reading again and again for the last twenty four hours… “ _Luhan_ , that's the city where the hotel is located!” he suddenly said, with a smile in his face. His memory was not as bad after all. The guy looked at him with a weird expression, as if he was trying to decipher a complex algorithm. “The logo had a crown on it, I only remember that.”

“It doesn’t look like a hostel I’ve checked here… and I’ve checked tons…” the guy answered, the last part in passing. Castiel preferred not to ask back. The guy took his cellphone and started typing. “Let’s see what we have here…” he said, sounding like the joker he was once again. Castiel smiled because apparently the guy couldn’t help it. “Oh my God,” he said then, and handed Castiel the cellphone, who took it. “Look at that dude, are you rich or something?” he said with a laugh and Castiel did as he was told. The hostel was not a hostel per-se, but a spa resort in the middle of the countryside, where according to the images displayed, you could swim on their heated pool, or practice horse gallop. “They even play _polo_ ,” the guy said. “I didn’t take you as a polo player…”

“I’m _not_ a polo player…” Castiel clarified, because even when he didn't need to, he felt better in front of the stranger if he did. “I’m not rich either, far from it, in fact. My cousin should have dreamed big before choosing the place. I don’t blame him, it’s a wonderful hotel, but that’s not what my finances need.”

“Well, Luján is like…” the guy thought, looking at the cellphone again, “three hours away from here. That’s if you take the highway. That would had been another expense for you to take in mind since taxis are expensive... I suppose all you want to do now is sleeping, am I right? No polo, no massage service...”

Castiel nodded, because it was pointless for him to deny it. “My objectives are simpler,” he replied.

The guy smiled and shook his head affectionately. Then he stood up. “I know a place you will probably like. Good rooms, polite receptionists, warming atmosphere… I guess that’s what you’re needing.”

“Where it is?” Castiel asked, standing up as well, in an implicit agreement.

“That’s the easiest part of the whole thing, it’s just a few blocks away from this square,” the guy answered, sounding confident. “Let me see…” he said, checking his cellphone for the last time. “I was right, only five blocks from here. It’s a great place, I really liked it when I went there. Sadly I couldn’t make it.”

“But…” Castiel tried, finding the right words to ask what he wanted to ask. “If you couldn’t make it why do you think I will be accepted?”

“You won’t have any problem,” the guy replied, almost immediately. “My situation is kind of _exceptional_ …” he added, taking Castiel’s suitcase and preparing it to walk. He looked at Castiel with a charming smile and winked. “Would you let me carry one of your suitcases?” Castiel accepted with his body language quicker than he could process the answer with his brain and took the backpack, putting it on his back. The guy shook his head and took the backpack, putting it on Castiel’s chest. “We want to avoid being robbed again, don’t we?” he said and winked again, before starting the walk. Castiel smiled and accommodated the backpack better.

As they walked, and even when Castiel knew it was kind of insecure, he paid attention to all the details he could: people behaviours in the street, they way they talked to one another... It was a whole new experience for him.

“They are really social,” Castiel pointed out and the guy nodded in agreement. “I will have a hard time adjusting, so. My people skills are _rusty_ ,” he added, downcast.

The guy looked at him as if he was out of his mind. “I don’t see you as a socially awkward person,” he said and made a gesture for Castiel to cross the street. “You’ve been more than fine with me.”

“Well, you could say you’re an exception to the rule,” Castiel said, and the guy replied with a big smile, as if he was satisfied by that implications. It made Castiel blush, but he preferred keep on walking, leaving the conversation die. “Wow,” he couldn’t help saying some metres later, when he faced a monument that surprised him. “I know this one, I've seen it in Google… the _Obelisco_ ,” he said and the guy nodded.

“You’re in front of an icon, man,” the guy replied, Castiel too much delighted to answer.

When they reached Libertad street, Castiel was beyond words, contemplating with excitement every single little thing that appeared in front of his eyes, discovering with enthusiasm that he liked most of the weird panoramas he was facing.

“This street is full of jewelries,” Castiel pointed out, once he looked at the sixth one in a row.

“This _is_ a street for jewelries,” the guy pointed out with eagerness. Castiel turned his face to look at him. “You can do whatever you want… like, selling your grandma old shit, then buying a Rolex at the store next door… it’s kind of fantastic. We don’t see these kind of businesses back home.”

Castiel couldn’t help nodding. He lived in a town, where if generous, there were two jewelries where he never got in. This was so different to his hometown. “It’s like Diamond Street,” he pointed out. The guy considered it with his head, then nodded.

People were everywhere, coming and going from the stores, running here and there, no matter how elegantly they were dressed. Most people were with cellphones in their hands, talking or listening to music, completely disconnected from the outside world.

“In that subject we’re not different at all,” the guy said, taking into notice what Castiel was looking at. “All alienated by technology, no matter where we live.”

Castiel saw more than one lady leaving the produce stores with ecological bags, and more than one storekeeper hosing down their shop’s sidewalks. Both Castiel and the mysterious guy crossed the path in respect of their work, and Castiel turned around utterly mesmerized when one of the workers thanked him for the gesture.

“What is this?” Castiel asked to the guy, some blocks later. More than thirty people were stood in a gigantic queue at the sidewalk. Castiel couldn’t take his eyes off of it.

The guy smirked in reply. “They are waiting to pay their bills. It’s a shop that exclusively does that.”

“Don’t they use bank transfers?” Castiel asked curiously.

The guy shook his head, paying little attention, as if he had seen more than enough queues. Probably it was true. After all, Castiel had no idea how much time the guy had spent in Buenos Aires. Probably months, or years.

“Some of them do, of course, but they are mostly fond of cash. They like feeling the bills in their hands,” the guy explains while keep on walking. “They had faced tons of financial problems… betrayals by banks and the government included… After such a bunch of shit you get more secure like that, don’t you think?”

Castiel nodded. “I suppose it’s reasonable behaviour then, becaus—” he started saying when a couple surprised him. A girl and a boy more or less his age were kissing fiercely in the middle of the street, with several people walking around them and paying no attention at all at their love demonstration.

“I know what you're watching, but I'm obliged to tell you two things: First of all, people are shameless here, they do what they feel like doing and that’s it,” the guy said, glancing at the couple as well. “Don't get all shocked about it, you will get used to it. And second, the rest of the people don’t care about them kissing, as long as it stays PG. I’ve seen more than one couple kissing like this since I’ve arrived, and nobody made a scandal. It’s refreshing…” he made a pause, to look at the street name. “And I’m not talking exclusively about girls and boys couples, if you know what I mean…” he added and made Castiel a gesture, too soon for him to answer back. “Finally, here we are,” he said, pointing out to the big house at the corner of the opposite block.

It was bigger than Castiel had imagined. Three floors, its walls all meticulously painted in yellow. It was impossible not to notice at first sight. The hostel name was printed in three different sunshades of white. The front door was painted in a garish red, with a big sign printed on it that Castiel wasn't able to read.

“Wow,” Castiel said, walking to the door, his eyes never leaving the construction. He immediately liked the atmosphere. It was both modern and archaic, with a big spanish restaurant in the first floor. “I like this,” he said and looked at the guy, whose honest smile indicated he was glad by Castiel’s reaction. “Do you think I will be able to find a room?” he asked and the guy nodded.

“Look at the sign,” he answered and pointed out at the door. “It says everybody is welcomed, so you won't have any problem. The girls that run this are fantastic. They have like ten single rooms in here, so imagine how many shared ones!” he added and stayed quiet, suddenly looking really shy and out of place.

Castiel then realized why. It was time to say goodbye.

Castiel didn’t know if the guy felt the same way, but he had spent a really great time in his company, and Castiel wasn't sure if he wanted it to stop. They shared some awkward glances and stares here and there, neither of them moving an inch.

“I have to go inside,” Castiel said eventually, pointing out at the door. The guy turned his head so they were looking at each other, probably for a last time. “Anyway, I want to thank you for what you’ve done for me. You’ve—”

“I’ve already told you, it was a pleasure. I couldn’t have done any less,” the guy interrupted, his cheeks crimson red while he spoke.

“And I understand that, I really do,” Castiel replied, confident. “But, still, helping a stranger in the middle of the street… that’s not something everybody does, so I really want to thank you for it.”

“You’re not a stranger,” the guy replied back cheekily, in a joke Castiel appreciated listening.

“An hour ago I was,” Castiel insisted and kept quiet. He didn’t know what else to say to keep the meeting, how the procedure was. Should he ask for his phone number? Should he ask where we was living? If he was single? If he wanted to meet again? How was he fucking called? Castiel thought he should probably ask every single one of those questions out loud, but since he had no idea how to, he decided to stay quiet and disappear behind the hostel’s door as soon as possible. Whatever Castiel was thinking about the stranger, or whichever alternative his mind fantasized about… _everything was too good to be true_.

He run away. He was alone. He was a coward... His life sucked.

Suddenly, Castiel’s reflections were interrupted without any warning when the guy leaned in and kissed him in the cheek. His internal monologue stopped and the only reply he could perform was staying in his spot like a gargoyle, his mouth slightly open, his hands trembling a little bit. Everything was so warmed and hot inside of him that Castiel thought that he was probably spontaneously combusting. He was completely unavailable to answer or listen to anything the guy said.

“I just forgot to tell you something else. Get used to be kissed like this if you plan to stay in this country,” he said, trying to sound easy-going, even when Castiel could notice he was a pile of  nervous as well. “Practically everybody kiss one another in the cheek when they say _Hi_ or _Goodbye_. No matter who they are… it’s all the same,” he explained.

They were so close Castiel practically could feel the man’s breath in his lips. It was in fact a extremely sexy position, he almost pressed to the wall by a extremely handsome guy, but he stopped the pipe dreams. His mind was just playing a dirty trick on him. _‘It’s all too good to be true,  Castiel. Your life sucks, remember. It’s all too good to be true…’_ he repeated like a mantra, even when the guy hadn’t moved an inch away from him.

“How can you be so... confident?” Castiel said, out of nowhere.

The guy just smirked. “I'm not,” he said. “It's just that you—” a cellphone rang, interrupting the guy, and in a blink the whole moment was gone. The hero groaned in discomfort and got separated from Castiel, who immediately missed the warmness. “Sammy… what the hell man?” The guy said sounding irritated and giving Castiel an apologetic look. Perhaps it wasn’t a weird occurrence, perhaps the guy didn’t want to finish their encounter either. “Can’t we talk a little later, dude? I’m in the middle of something here—” he tried in a plea, as quiet as he could, but apparently the guy at the other side of the line was inflexible.

The mysterious hero groaned again and looked at Castiel, muttering a ‘ _sorry’_ . Castiel nodded in understandment and waved at the guy, who waved as well and turned around reluctantly, starting a hotheaded discussion with that _Sammy_ person and getting away from Castiel sooner than any of them would want.

Castiel looked at the stranger for a while, until he disappeared in the crowd, leaving him once again completely alone. He shook his head and rang the hostel’s bell.

“As I've said: _it was too good to be true_ ,” he remembered before the door automatically opened and he could finally enter the place.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) About the title of this chapter, it’s a very-super-extremely-incredibly famous song here in Argentina, and probably in all Latin America as well. It belongs to a rock band called Soda Stereo, and I particularly chose it (apart from the fact that I love the band) because it talks about Buenos Aires in its verses, and well… primarily because it mentions more than once this particular sentence: “un hombre alado extraña la tierra,” which I can translate in english as, “a winged man misses land.” The City of Fury is Buenos Aires, and the song tells how he walks through it while nobody knows him. I suppose that applies to both show!Castiel and thisfic!Castiel, so the choice was pretty easy for me. I strongly suggest for you to listen to Soda Stereo. Sadly its frontman, Gustavo Cerati, died after battling for years in an hospital bed. However, their artistic legacy is incredible, and I’m sure you, the english public, would appreciate it if you knew it. 
> 
> (2) When Castiel arrives to México, he drinks Aguas Frescas. You may wonder what they are, but I don’t want to say anything wrong, so if you’re mexican or you know more than me please correct my explanation. In english it means “fresh waters” and basically they are prepared with water, sugar, and different combinations of fruits, flowers flavours, or seeds, all blended together. They are sold in the streets or bars, and are the most popular non-alcoholic beverage in México. In Argentina we call it simply juice, but we know the “aguas frescas” term and use it sometimes as a joke because of a mexican show that is pretty popular here called El Chavo del Ocho. In more than one episode the main character prepares and sells aguas frescas in the streets, as an easy way to earn money.
> 
> (3) Well, I suppose everybody here knows Tequila and how strong it is. If don’t, let’s say it's a popular distilled beverage from México, as well. You can drink it neat, if you’re a badass motherfucker, but if you’re not, you can belittle its effects with a slice of lime or lemon, and a bit of salt. I’m an horrible drinker so I never tried it, but I’ve known people that beared with more than ten glasses in a row. I don’t know how they do that haha.
> 
> (4) Why did I choose Benny as the taxi driver? Because he was a taxi driver!! so I thought that would be a cool cameo, but mostly because his complete name, Benjamin, is a common name in my country. I can’t choose characters like Bobby or Madison or Bela for his fic, precisely because of their names, but I can chose the ones that have an spanish name or a name we use frequently here, so I went for it.
> 
> (5) Same with Andrea. Good for me that both of them have names we use here haha.
> 
> (6) Microcentro is referred to the main commercial zone in Buenos Aires. It’s not a city ward per-se, but people know which districts it is formed by. The plot will be focus in there, because even when I don’t live there is a zone I know a lot, and I wanted to give the fic as much realism as possible, showing real places, and real landscapes where Dean and Castiel could walk and fall in love with each other. Although, Argentina is pretty big and diverse, so if you plan a visit here, I suggest you to meet not only the main city, but also the beaches, the mountains, the countrysides, the waterfalls, the deserts, etc. etc. etc. You will be received awesomely in every single place.
> 
> (7) Ola Verde or Green Wave is a system for traffic lights that are coordinated with one another in such a way when a car gets a green light and its driven at a certain (and legal) speed it never stops driving, since all the traffic lights it faces get green by the time the car reaches them. It's a system we’ve been using here for some years now, and that I find extremely useful. Benny is angry because he never gets a green light haha. 
> 
> (8) The Gauchos inhabited Buenos Aires in the past, and, to be more than simple, I could say is the equivalent of the cowboy from the United States. The gaucho and his lifestyle are national symbols in Argentina, renowned and admired as legends by both History and Literature, its folklore still important in our cultural traditions. If I had to make the concept justice I should talk way more than this, but I don’t want to get dense so let’s leave it here haha.
> 
> (9) Well… I don’t want to ignore this because I’ve written it as the way Dean and Castiel met haha, but Castiel suffered a robbery in his first two seconds in Buenos Aires. My obligation is to say that yeah, it happens here all the time. Although, it’s not something to be scared about if you decide to come here. Yes, it happens. Yes, it’s normal… but that’s something that happens in every city in the world. You have to pay attention and be careful, and that’s enough.

**Author's Note:**

> (1) About the title of this chapter, it’s a very popular argentinian song released in 1967. "Los Gatos" was one of the first argentinian rock bands. La Balsa was an instant and unpredicted hit, selling more than 200K singles (which at that time in a country like mine was phenomenal). The song is still a success, sung by adults and new generations.  
> I did choose this song because of the lyrics, as I will do with the rest of the chapters (and the title of the fic). The song tells the story of a guy who is, literally, sad and lonely in an abandoned world. So, his idea is to build a raft by himself and sail with it to a better place. Really specific, isn’t it? I think it portrayed Castiel’s dilemma really well, and gave his decision a positive tone, since the song is cheerful and lively. I've left a link to listen to the song at the beggining of the chapter. Run and do it! What do you think?
> 
> (2) Gabriel’s song when he turns the entertainment system on is clearly Wind Of Change, by Scorpions. A real 80’s hit we still sing no matter what country we’re from haha. 
> 
> (3) In regards of the page Gabriel uses to choose the countries, it exists, and I used it haha. It’s called Random Country and you can see it if you click here: http://random.country/. I confess I was online there more than thirty minutes so I could get Argentina and see what information was shared about my country haha. I’m a weirdo, I know, don't tell me again!
> 
> (4) All the polaroid pictures I will share will have information and will be 100% real. All those beautiful landscapes I’ve shared in this chapter for instance, are ours and if you like them, you’re welcome to visit them. As Jimmy said, it’s a big country. We have deserts and beaches, as well as mountains, waterfalls and glaciers. We may have our problems (as every country does haha) but I can assure you my country is beautiful and really open to tourism. We love being hosts. So if you feel like giving us a chance, I assure you you won’t be disappointed (and neither will be Cas) ;).
> 
> (5) Here's the reason why I've said to you I'm sharing my heart in this fic. I'm from Argentina, I live in Argentina, and I want Castiel and Dean to collide here, meet and fall in love, surrounded of places I know and are part of my life. Hope you can understand every aspect I try to convey in these words. If you have any doubt, please just tell me and I will be ready to clarify.


End file.
